Union Minister of Coal and Mines, Shri Kishan Reddy, Secretary of theMinistry of Mines and senior officials of the Ministry of Mines held a meetingwith Argentine Catamarca Governor, Raúl Alejandro Halil in New Delhi recentlyto enhance cooperation in the mining sector, especially in lithium explorationand other investment opportunities.

The highlight of the meeting was the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)between Mineral Exploration and Consultancy Limited (MECL), a public sectorundertaking under the Ministry of Mines, and the provincial government of Catamarca,Argentina. The agreement will pave the way for deeper cooperation in theexploration and development of viable minerals.

The collaboration is expected to accelerate lithium exploration projects, enhanceresource security, and create new opportunities for Indian companies in themining sector in Latin America.

Argentina, which is part of the Lithium Triangle due to its large reservesof lithium, is an important partner of India in ensuring the supply of mineralsrequired for storage for electric vehicle batteries and renewable energy. Theongoing efforts to explore lithium by Khanij Bidesh India Limited (KABIL) andGreenco in Catamarca as well as the possibility of increased participation of Indiancompanies in Argentine mining projects were also discussed. The two sides alsoexplored the possibility of investment avenues, long-term supply agreements andjoint ventures that would help strengthen India's supply of this importantmineral.