Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Trinidad and Tobago has generated “intense desire” for greater engagement and collaboration between the two countries, India’s High Commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago, Pradeep Singh Rajpurohit, said on Thursday.
“There is a lot of enthusiasm and excitement among the people. Everyone is looking forward to this visit,” Rajpurohit told ANI. “There is already an intense desire here for broader cooperation across sectors. Both the people and the government are keen to build a longstanding, broad-based partnership with India.”
Rajpurohit underlined the historical ties between the two countries, pointing out that nearly half of Trinidad and Tobago’s population is of Indian origin. “They have been here for the last 180 years. Many are now fifth- or sixth-generation descendants,” he said, adding that the diaspora has played a key role in preserving India’s heritage abroad.
“There is great excitement among the diaspora. They closely follow developments in India and feel a deep emotional connection,” he said.
The High Commissioner said discussions during the visit are expected to build on the groundwork laid during Modi’s visit to Guyana last year for the Second India-CARICOM Summit. “Many of the areas discussed then — agriculture, IT, health and pharmaceuticals, renewable energy — are likely to figure in talks again. We expect tangible outcomes,” he said.
Rajpurohit noted that Trinidad and Tobago’s new government has several ministers of Indian origin. “There is great enthusiasm among them to bring the benefits of India’s growth journey here,” he said. He added that the country was the first in the Caribbean to adopt India’s flagship UPI platform and is working towards its implementation.
(ANI)