New Delhi, (IANS) : India’s Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Mexico’s National Council of Science and Technology (CONACyT) have approved 14 joint projects in four focus areas of cooperation – water, seismology, solar energy and biotechnology.

This was decided at a meeting between the two sides in Mexico City on July 18-19 for the 6th meeting of the Indo-Mexican Committee on Science and Technology.

Evaluating ongoing actions of cooperation as well as new mechanisms to strengthen the bilateral relation, representatives from both the countries discussed the importance that network creation has signified for the growth of Mexico-India collaboration, a statement said here on Friday.

As part of the meeting, officials from DST and CONACyT approved the 14 joint projects.

The delegations also discussed proposals to enhance the scientific and technological linkages between Indian and Mexican experts. “The full potential of science and technology cooperation between the two countries is yet to be realised,” DST’s head of international bilateral cooperation Arabinda Mitra said.

The joint committee also met with officials from the Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute (CINVESTAV).

Scientific cooperation between Mexico and India has been mainly implemented through joint research projects. These projects have produced over 120 visits from researchers in both countries, several academic publications as well as three joint workshops.

During the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Mexico City on June 8, cooperation on science and technology was highlighted as one of the priority areas.

Modi and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto agreed to launch concrete proposals in science and technology for the benefit of their peoples.