Kerala CM Satheesan meets U.S. Ambassador to India Gor
Kochi, Aug 8
Kerala Chief Minister, V.D. Satheesan, met Sergio Gor, Ambassador of the United States of America to India, in Kochi on Saturday. The Chief Secretary and other senior officials of the Government of Kerala were present during the meeting.
The discussions focussed on strengthening cooperation between Kerala and the US in areas of mutual interest, particularly higher education, tourism, culture, investment and maritime development.
The Chief Minister highlighted the scope for closer partnerships between universities and research institutions in Kerala and the US, including joint research, academic exchanges and innovation partnerships.
Opportunities for strengthening cultural and people-to-people ties were also discussed.
The Ambassador mentioned that this was his first visit to Kerala and said that he was impressed by the State's natural beauty, rich cultural heritage and its considerable potential as an international tourism destination.
He noted the scope for attracting more visitors from the US, including through Kerala's strengths in wellness and Ayurveda tourism.
Ambassador Gor also referred to the concept of Sister Cities and suggested that possibilities for establishing such partnerships between cities in Kerala and the United States could be explored to promote closer cultural, educational, economic and people-to-people engagement.
The Chief Minister highlighted Kerala's growing potential as a destination for international investment, particularly in ports, logistics and port-led development.
Opportunities associated with Vizhinjam International Seaport and Kochi Port, including maritime logistics, shipbuilding and ship repair, green bunkering and allied industries, were discussed.
The Ambassador expressed his interest in facilitating greater engagement between US companies and Kerala and in connecting more American businesses with investment opportunities in the State.
He noted the potential for such engagements to translate into fruitful investments and stronger economic ties between Kerala and the United States.
The meeting also considered ways to deepen engagement with the Malayalee community and business networks in the United States.
In this context, Chief Minister Satheesan proposed exploring the setting up of an Invest Desk in the United States to facilitate investment enquiries, connect prospective investors and companies with opportunities in Kerala, and strengthen engagement with the Malayalee diaspora and the wider American business community.
Both sides expressed their interest in maintaining closer engagement and taking forward opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation between Kerala and the United States.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Finally a proactive step! Higher education partnerships with US universities would be excellent for our students. Instead of going abroad, they can access world-class education here. Also happy to see tourism being prioritized - Kerala's beauty is unmatched. 🌴
As an American who has visited Kerala twice, I can confirm the ambassador's impression. The state is gorgeous and the people are wonderful. This kind of diplomatic engagement is exactly what both sides need. Looking forward to seeing more cultural exchanges.
The Invest Desk idea is smart, but we've seen many such MOUs before that never materialize. I hope this time the government follows through with concrete action, not just photo ops. With due respect, our track record on execution needs improvement. 🤔
Very encouraging to see our CM focusing on Ayurveda and wellness tourism for American visitors. That's our USP! Meanwhile, the Sister Cities concept is brilliant - it worked wonders for many Indian cities. Kochi and some US port city would be perfect. 🤩
All good talk, but what about the Malayalee diaspora in the US? There are lakhs of NRKs who want to invest back home but face bureaucratic hurdles. Hope this meeting leads to simpler processes for them. That would be the real win. 💪
L Laura Z