Eight cooperatives from Argentina traveled to India and Vietnam on a mission funded by the Government of Argentina and lead by the President of the International Cooperative Alliance, Ariel Guarco.
From 17 to 19 February they met cooperative representatives in India. In New Delhi, the President visited the ICA Asia–Pacific regional office and met representatives from the National Cooperative Union of India (NCUI), the apex body for the cooperative movement in India, to interact with Indian cooperators and policymakers.
“I wish to hear about your problems at the local and regional level and assure you of our support,” said Guarco to heads of various national level federations who were at the NCUI headquarters to meet with him. The ICA President also gave a certificate to the new ICA member Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society (ULCCS).
In Mumbai, they met representatives from the National Federation of State of Cooperative Banks, the National Cooperative Agriculture Rural development banks Federation and the Buldana Urban Credit Cooperative Society.
On 20 and 21 February, the cooperative delegation met representatives of the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance (VCA) and visit cooperatives active in the ceramic and agriculture sector.
The Argentinian delegation was made up by the apex organisation COOPERAR and some of their member cooperatives including Agricultores Federados Argentinos, Asociación de Cooperativas Argentinas, Banco Credicoop, Grupo Devoto, Fecovita, La Segunda, Cooperativa Obrera and Sancor Seguros. "The presence of the cooperative sector in these meetings generated great interest on the part of the Indian businessmen. There are strong institutional links that can build these exchanges”, said Guarco. One of them is cooperation between the Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative (IFFCO) and AMUL, the largest milk cooperative in India.
The meetings between cooperatives in India and Vietnam were done at the same time that the President of Argentina, Mauricio Macri, visited these countries in order to create strategic associations, technological transfer, and the new commercial links. Ariel Guarco exchanged a few words with Mr. Macri in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, where both participated in a bilateral business forum. Mr. Guarco took the opportunity to give details about the cooperative movement in Argentina and in the world.
All pictures about the visit here aquí
