India, Sept. 18 -- A slice of Santiago landed right in the heart of the Capital this Thursday as diplomats, city dignitaries and prominent guests gathered to mark Chile's 216th national day. The evening moved from formal toasts to cultural performances and conversations over Chilean food and wine.

For Ambassador of Chile to India Juan Angulo, the occasion was also a chance to look back at the long history connecting the two nations. "Our relationship with the Indian subcontinent started indeed just after our independence, with records of ships coming from Valparaiso to Kolkata as early as the 1820s," he said, pointing to more than two centuries of contact between Chile and India.

He continued, "India and Chile have always shared a warm ...