Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday congratulated José Antonio Kast on assuming office as the President of Chile and expressed hope for closer cooperation between the two countries across key sectors including trade, technology and energy.In a message posted on X, Modi extended warm greetings to Kast and said he looked forward to working closely with the new Chilean leader to further strengthen the “warm and friendly relations” between India and Chile.“Warm congratulations to José Antonio Kast Rist on assuming the office of the President of Chile. I look forward to working closely with him to further strengthen the warm and friendly relations between India and Chile and to deepen our cooperation across trade, technology and energy,” the Prime Minister said.He also conveyed his best wishes for a successful tenure.Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh had represented India at the inauguration ceremony of President Kast in Santiago during his visit to Chile from March 10 to 12.During the visit, Singh held a bilateral meeting with Kast and also interacted with outgoing President Gabriel Boric.The minister conveyed greetings and best wishes to Kast on behalf of President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Modi, reaffirming India’s commitment to strengthening its partnership with Chile.“Both sides agreed to expand cooperation in key sectors including trade, investment, health and pharmaceuticals, traditional medicine, science and technology, mining and mineral exploration, education, space, agriculture and people-to-people exchanges,” a senior MEA official said.They also discussed diversifying bilateral engagement into emerging areas such as digital public infrastructure, innovation and green energy.The two sides expressed satisfaction over progress in negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between India and Chile, aimed at further boosting trade and economic ties.The visit, official said, reaffirmed the commitment of both countries to advancing their longstanding partnership and expanding cooperation across a range of strategic sectors.