Bolivia offers India lithium reserves

New Delhi, July 1

Bolivia, known to have the largest reserves of lithium, has offered the metal — used in making batteries of electric vehicles, laptops and smart phones — to India.

The South American nation’s ambassador to India, Sergio Dario Arispe Barrientos, said the country has the largest deposit of Lithium and India could explore this opportunity.

Barrientos said his country is willing to sign a Preferential Trade Agreement  — a pact between countries that provide preferential access to certain products by lowering tariff and other conditions — with India for select goods.

Terming Prime Minister Narendra Modi as somebody respected in the international community for a host of measures being taken by him, the Bolivian ambassador said he expects him to explore Latin America more to create a win-win situation for both the countries.

Referring to reports that India was looking at an all-electric car fleet by 2030, the ambassador said in the years to come Lithium will become a very important commodity.

Asked whether it will not be expensive to ferry Lithium from Bolivia, he said most commodities travel throughout the world. He added that China is already acquiring Lithium from Bolivia. He rued the fact that India does not have its embassy in Bolivia. The Indian Embassy in Lima is concurrently accredited to Bolivia since April 1981. — PTI