Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with the cream of Caribbean leaders on the margins of the India-CARICOM Summit right here and mentioned strengthening bilateral ties and enhancing cooperation throughout a number of key areas in direction of the empowerment of the World South. The prime minister arrived in Guyana earlier on Wednesday — the primary go to by an Indian head of the state to the nation in additional than 50 years.
By way of the day, on the sidelines of the second India-Caribbean Neighborhood (CARICOM) Summit, Modi met Presidents Chan Santokhi (Suriname) and Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali (Guyana) and 6 of his counterparts Philip J Pierre (Saint Lucia), Gaston Browne (Antigua & Barbuda), Dickon Mitchell (Grenada), Philip Courageous Davis (The Bahamas), Mia Amor Mottley (Barbados) and Dr Keith Rowley (Trinidad & Tobago).
Modi described his assembly with President Ali as “glorious” in a put up on X and mentioned the President himself enjoys “a powerful bond with India.” The 2 leaders reviewed the bilateral developmental cooperation, together with in sectors like talent improvement, capability constructing, agriculture, prescription drugs, schooling and power.
“India will at all times be a trusted associate for Guyana in sectors like infrastructure, transport, expertise and extra,” he mentioned, calling the Caribbean nation’s help for initiatives such because the Worldwide Photo voltaic Alliance (ISA), Coalition for Catastrophe Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) and World Biofuels Alliance (GBA) as “noteworthy.”
Throughout his assembly with President Santokhi, Modi reviewed bilateral relations in sectors equivalent to commerce, expertise, power and tele-medicine amongst others.
“Strengthening friendship with Suriname!” he mentioned in one other put up on X and added: “We additionally mentioned methods to additional enhance cultural in addition to folks to folks ties.” India will preserve supporting numerous improvement associated initiatives in Suriname, he added.
The Ministry of Exterior Affairs (MEA) mentioned the 2 leaders emphasised the significance of “strengthening financial cooperation” and agreed to develop bilateral cooperation in areas together with defence and safety, commerce & commerce, agriculture, digital initiatives together with UPI, ICT, healthcare, conventional medication and prescription drugs, capability constructing, human useful resource improvement, cultural and people-to-people engagements.
The prime minister mentioned he had a “very fruitful” assembly together with his counterpart from Trinidad & Tobago Keith Rowley and added that the 2 leaders talked about the way to diversify bilateral commerce linkages.
“Areas like science, healthcare, schooling, renewable power and agriculture supply nice potential for cooperation. It’s a matter of immense pleasure that Trinidad & Tobago has adopted UPI. The signing of the MoU regarding agro and meals processing can also be a welcome step,” he added in one other put up on X.
The MEA mentioned in a separate put up that the 2 leaders additionally witnessed the change of an MoU on establishing Built-in Automated Fruit and Vegetable Main Processing Actions in Trinidad and Tobago.
Modi additionally had a “superb assembly” with Barbados Prime Minister Mottley, throughout which the talks between the 2 leaders lined areas equivalent to science and expertise, healthcare, schooling, local weather change and agriculture.
The MEA added in a put up on X: “This high-level engagement supplied a possibility for each leaders to reaffirm and strengthen the India-Barbados relationship whereas reviewing ongoing cooperation throughout a number of key areas, together with well being & pharma and collaboration on the United Nations.”
Mottley, in flip, mentioned, the assembly centered on institutional reforms, financial collaboration, and the empowerment of the World South.
“Key discussions included political help for reforms, potential collaborations within the pharmaceutical business, and the concept of creating a Caribbean financial institution,” she mentioned in a put up on X.
Modi had a “fruitful dialogue centered on strengthening financial ties, local weather change motion and inexperienced partnerships” together with his Bahamas counterpart Philip Courageous Davis.
“The leaders additionally exchanged views on the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ marketing campaign,” the MEA mentioned in a separate put up on X.
Modi and Prime Minister of Grenada Dickon Mitchell had “a fruitful assembly” throughout which the duo agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation in IT, healthcare, schooling and agriculture.
Modi additionally appreciated his efforts in internet hosting the 2nd India-CARICOM Summit.
About his assembly with Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua & Barbuda, Modi mentioned, “there may be immense potential to additional increase bilateral relations, notably in sectors equivalent to commerce, FinTech, renewable power and local weather change.”
Modi, in a put up on X, additionally thanked Browne for Antigua & Barbuda’s help to the ISA and CDRI.
Whereas Modi congratulated Browne for efficiently internet hosting the 4th SIDS convention, referring to the Small Islands Growing States bloc, Browne appreciated the seven pillar CARICOM plan put forth by Modi on the Summit.
Modi proposed seven “key pillars” to strengthen ties between India and the Caribbean Neighborhood, asserting that New Delhi is “completely dedicated” to taking these relations to new heights.
Modi’s remarks got here on Wednesday as he joined leaders from the Caribbean associate nations for the second India-Caribbean Neighborhood (CARICOM) Summit right here.
Modi and Browne exchanged views on problems with commerce & funding, capability constructing for SIDS, and local weather change motion, the MEA mentioned, including, Browne introduced help for India’s everlasting membership of the UN Safety Council.
The Indian prime minister additionally met his counterpart from Saint Lucia Philip J Pierre and mentioned methods to spice up commerce linkages. “We additionally talked about enhancing ties in sectors like healthcare, pharma, power, sports activities and extra,” he mentioned in a put up on X.
“Either side exchanged views on cooperation within the fields of capability constructing, schooling, well being, cricket, and yoga and burdened the necessity to additional reinforce India-St Lucia bilateral relations,” the MEA mentioned.
The Prime Minister additionally met Roosevelt Skerrit, his Dominica counterpart, whom he thanked for the conferment of the nation’s highest award.
“The leaders explored alternatives for cooperation in areas equivalent to local weather resilience, healthcare, capability constructing and deepening of people-to-people ties. In addition they mentioned cooperation on the United Nations,” the MEA mentioned.
The seven pillars listed by Modi additionally kind the acronym C-A-R-I-C-O-M, increasing to Capability Constructing; Agriculture and Meals Safety; Renewable Vitality and Local weather Change’ Innovation; Know-how and Commerce; Cricket and Tradition; Ocean Financial system, and Medication and Healthcare.
