Guatemala appoints Sikh woman as Consul

[>Bikramjit Singh<]

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Guatemala appoints Sikh woman as Consul

Tuesday, 20 April , 2004, 16:51

New Delhi: Guatemala has appointed a young Sikh woman entrepreneur as its Honorary Consul to India.

Latika Kohli, 33, told UNI on Tuesday that her first priority would be to help establish direct air links between the two countries.

"Guatemala is a culturally rich country and a trade agreement it has signed with the US will make it an American manufacturing base. One of my priority areas will be making efforts for direct air links between India and Guatemala."

Born in Budapest and daughter of an ex-Indian diplomat, Latika moved to Dhaka with her parents when she was five. At nine, she was in Nairobi.

After three years in Kenya, she moved to Mexico where she got a degree in the Spanish language. She graduated in pharmacy in New York.

Married to a Los Angeles entrepreneur at 21, she has since been actively participating in her husband's business. "We are buying agents and also provide IT solutions. Our business often takes us to Guatemala. And it was one such meeting with the Guatemalan Foreign Minister when he offered me this post."

As part of her new job as an Honorary Consul of a Central American country, Kohli plans to reach out to travel agencies as soon as general elections in the country get over.

"We will soon come out with brochures about Guatemala, its culture and tourist attractions." The Consul said she would not only promote Guatemalan tourism in

India but would also encourage better trade links between the two countries.

Kohli is also a religious devout. "I teach my children the values of my faith besides visiting gurdwaras. But I do not believe in making huge donations. I'd rather help the needy to improve their lives."