Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Guyana on Tuesday, becoming the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the South American nation in 56 years.
India’s High Commissioner to Guyana, Amit S. Telang, highlighted the significance of the visit, saying, “The significance of the visit lies in the fact that our two countries have traditionally shared very warm and, I would say, historical relations. This visit, taking place after almost five decades, or 56 years, to be precise, symbolizes the deep friendship, mutual trust, and cooperation that our two countries have built over the years.”
Emphasizing the bilateral relations between the two countries, India’s High Commissioner said, “We also have an expanding Indian community in Guyana, which includes students, professionals, and individuals engaged in trade and commerce. There is a lot of excitement, enthusiasm, and optimism about the visit. I’m confident that Prime Minister Modi’s visit will generate new momentum in our partnership.”
Telang also highlighted India’s engagement with CARICOM (Caribbean Community and Common Market), of which Guyana is a member. “India has been working very closely with CARICOM member states. This is part of our initiative called the Voice of Global South. During our G20 presidency, under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, we launched the Voice of Global South initiative. Many CARICOM leaders actively participated in these summits and shared their views,” he said.
The prime minister will hold discussions with other leaders from the CARICOM at the Caricom-India Summit on Thursday. He will co-chair the summit with Grenada’s Prime Minister, Dickon Mitchell.
The summit aims to strengthen bilateral ties between CARICOM and India, focusing on areas such as energy and infrastructure, agriculture and food security, health and pharmaceuticals, as well as technology and innovation.
India and Guyana’s bilateral ties are underpinned by a joint ministerial commission, cultural exchanges, and a business council between the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) and the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GCCI).
Development cooperation is supported by the Indian Technical & Economic Cooperation (ITEC) program, which offers 50 scholarships annually, with over 600 Guyanese having been trained through ITEC and Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) scholarships.
India has also extended credit for projects in agriculture and IT, with Indian companies showing interest in biofuels, energy, minerals, and pharmaceuticals. Trade between the two nations remains modest but is steadily growing.
(With ANI input)