Mauricio Macri and Juliana Awada pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi in India

Argentine President Mauricio Macri began Monday his official visit to India with a tribute to the father of the country's independence, Mahatma Gandhi, at a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and signed several agreement protocols.

Macri, who arrived in India on Sunday, began the day of his three-day trip to the Asian giant with an act in front of the presidential palace in downtown New Delhi. Accompanied by the first lady, Juliana Awada, and her daughters, he was greeted by the Indian prime minister with one of his characteristic hugs.

The Argentine President received military honors in the company of Modi and Indian President Ram Nath Kovind. From the presidential palace, Macri went to Rajghat, where the memorial is located, in tribute to the pacifist struggle Mahatma Gandhi. There, as a sign of respect, he scattered rose petals on the black marble platform that stands where the father of Indian independence was cremated.

After the most symbolic acts of the morning, the Argentine President met Modi, at a meeting during which they signed the exchange of several memoranda of understanding with the Indian authorities.

Macri, who has traveled to India accompanied by a hundred or so businessmen, seeks to connect Argentina to the wave of growth of "one of the world's largest savings, "according to his account on the Instagram social network.

"We are going to meet business people to look for investments in Argentina, we will have other meetings to strengthen bilateral trade in sectors ranging from renewable to agricultural products," Macri said Sunday in the network. social.

With 70 years of diplomatic relations, trade between the two countries is relatively low with a balance of $ 3,000 million a year, which is good for the South American nation with a surplus of $ 1,200 million.

The sale of soybean oil to India determines 90% of Argentine exports to this Asian country. For its part, with a market of 1.3 billion inhabitants and despite its serious problems of inequality, India has become a very attractive country thanks to its surprising growth, estimated at 7.2%.