KOCHI: Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan and US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor met at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Kochi on Saturday and discussed areas of cooperation and investment opportunities in Kerala. The discussions covered investment opportunities in maritime logistics linked to the Vizhinjam and Kochi ports, shipbuilding and ship repair, green bunkering and allied industries.
An ‘Invest Desk’ will be launched in the US to help investors learn about opportunities in Kerala and address their queries regarding investments in the state.
The Chief Minister also proposed exploring possibilities for joint projects between universities and research institutions, as well as faculty and student exchange programmes. Sergio Gor said Kerala could attract more tourists from the US by leveraging its strengths in healthcare and Ayurveda tourism.
The two sides will also explore possibilities for partnerships between major cities in Kerala and the US under a ‘sister cities’ model.
Industries Minister P.K. Kunhalikutty, Chief Secretary Bishwanath Sinha, Industries Department Principal Secretary Mohammad Haneesh, Chief Minister’s Officer on Special Duty N.S.K. Umesh, Chief Minister’s Secretary Rathan Khelkar and NORKA Director Asif K. Yusuf accompanied the Chief Minister.
Michael Boulos, businessman and son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, was also at the Grand Hyatt while the meeting was under way. He is married to Tiffany Trump, the daughter of Donald Trump. Ambassador Sergio Gor and Michael Boulos arrived at Kochi airport in a chartered aircraft in the morning and travelled to the Grand Hyatt by helicopter. They later travelled by road to Alappuzha and returned to Kochi at night.