India and Peru have agreed to further deepen bilateral cooperation and economic engagements. They signed four pacts in diverse areas including, defense cooperation, education and preservation of archeological assets. A Joint commission has been set up to promote and diversify bilateral engagements. The pacts were signed at the end of bilateral talks held between Vice President Hamid Ansari and his Peruvian counterpart Marisol Espinoza. The Vice President was on a three day official visit to Peru. The visit marking the 50 th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries has set India-Peru bilateral relations on a faster upward trajectory towards deeper cooperation. India and Peru launched an Industry body INCHAM (Indian chamber of Commerce) to facilitate Indian Trade & Industry to do business in Peru and other countries of Latin America. Vice President Hamid Ansari said, INCHAM promises to fill what has so far been a vacuum in India-Peru commercial and economic relations. The official website of INCHAM, (www.incham.pe) was also launched. India assured Peru that a Centre of Excellence in Information Technology (CIET) in Lima would be made operational soon. Peruvian President Ollanta Humalla Tasso accepted President Pranab Mukherjee’s invitation to visit India which was conveyed by Vice President Hamid Ansari during high level talks. Our correspondent covering the Vice President giving more details reports that India and Peru affirmed that terrorism cannot be justified in any form or for any reason. They agreed to maintain high level coordination on expediting the process of reforming the United Nations and to support mutual candidature in international bodies. The two sides underlined that a Free Trade Agreement between Peru and India will have a positive impact on increasing prosperity and well-being of the people of both countries. India and Peru also agreed to expedite early conclusion of ongoing negotiations on an agreement to protect bilateral investments to assist business of both nations. Bilateral trade of over one billion US dollars, rose nearly fifty per cent in the first half of this year after India began exporting gold from Peru. Vice President Ansari also held talks with Mr. Freddy Otarola, President of the national legislature- the Congress, and also members of the Peru-India Parliamentary Friendship league-Peruvian foreign minister Eda Rivas, Trade and tourism minister Magaly Silva and members of the Peruvian Parliament.