PM Modi meets top leaders of Caribbean nations in Guyana, discusses bilateral cooperation

Georgetown (Guyana), Nov 21 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the top leaders of Caribbean nations such as St. Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Barbados, Bahamas, Trinidad & Tobago, Suriname, Dominica on the sidelines of the second India-CARICOM Summit here and discussed strengthening bilateral ties and enhancing cooperation across several key areas.

Prime Minister Modi met with Barbados PM Mia Amor Mottley on Wednesday.

During the meeting, Prime Minister of Barbados Mottley announced that her government will confer on PM Modi with the Honorary Order of Freedom of Barbados Award on November 30 this year, recognising his leadership in assisting the Caribbean nation during the Covid-19 pandemic and commitment towards strengthening the bilateral ties between the two countries, an MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a statement

He also added: "This high-level engagement provided an opportunity for both leaders to reaffirm and strengthen the India-Barbados relationship while reviewing ongoing cooperation across several key areas, including health & pharma and collaboration at the United Nations."

Earlier, Prime Minister Modi also met Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda Gaston Browne on the sidelines of the second India-CARICOM Summit here.

"PM Modi congratulated PM Browne for successfully hosting the 4th SIDS conference. PM Browne appreciated the 7 pillar CARICOM plan put forth by PM Modi at the Summit. The leaders exchanged views on issues of trade & investment, capacity building for SIDS, and climate change action. PM Browne announced support for India’s permanent membership of the UN Security Council," MEA spokesperson Jaiswal said in a statement on X.

The Prime Minister also met St. Lucia Prime Minister Philip J Pierre on the sidelines of the Summit.

"Both sides exchanged views on cooperation in the fields of capacity building, education, health, cricket, and yoga and stressed the need to further reinforce India-St. Lucia bilateral relations," the MEA said.

During the India-CARICOM Summit, the prime minister proposed seven key pillars to strengthen ties between India and the Caribbean Community, asserting that New Delhi is committed to taking these relations to new heights.

Prime Minister Modi also met Roosevelt Skerrit, his Dominica counterpart, whom he thanked for the conferment of the country's highest award.

Dominica conferred its top award on PM Modi for his contributions to the Caribbean nation during the Covid-19 pandemic and his dedication to enhancing the bilateral partnership.

"The leaders explored opportunities for -- cooperation in areas such as climate resilience, healthcare, capacity building, and deepening of people-to-people ties. They also discussed cooperation at the United Nations," the MEA said.

Prime Minister Modi also met the President of Suriname Chan Santokhi and the two leaders reviewed progress on the bilateral partnership and emphasised the importance of strengthening economic cooperation.

"They agreed to expand bilateral cooperation in areas including defence and security, trade & commerce, agriculture, digital initiatives including UPI, ICT, healthcare, traditional medicine and pharmaceuticals, capacity building, human resource development, cultural and people-to-people engagements," the MEA said.

On the sidelines of the India-CARICOM Summit, PM Modi also met Prime Minister Keith Rowley of Trinidad and Tobago.

He congratulated PM Rowley for adopting India's flagship UPI platform.

"The leaders discussed ways to strengthen -- relations in areas of digital transformation, health, defence and maritime security, transportation, and cultural exchanges," the MEA said in a separate post.

The two leaders also witnessed the exchange of an MoU on setting up Integrated Automatic Fruit and Vegetable Primary Processing Activities in Trinidad and Tobago.

Prime Minister Modi also met his Bahamas counterpart Philip Davis and had a "fruitful" discussion focused on strengthening economic ties, climate change action, and green partnerships.

"The leaders also exchanged views on the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign," the MEA said in an X post.

Prime Minister Modi arrived in Guyana earlier on Wednesday -- the first visit by an Indian head of the state to the country in more than 50 years.

He met leaders of the Caribbean partner countries on Wednesday at the sidelines of the second India-Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Summit.

"Had an excellent meeting with Mohamed Irfaan Ali, President of Guyana. The President himself enjoys a strong bond with India," PM Modi said in a post on X.

The two leaders reviewed the bilateral developmental cooperation, including in sectors like skill development, capacity building, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, education, and energy.

"India will always be a trusted partner for Guyana in sectors like infrastructure, shipping, technology, and more," he said, calling the Caribbean nation's support for initiatives like the International Solar Alliance, Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, and Global Biofuels Alliance "noteworthy".

Prime Minister Modi also met PM Dickon Mitchell of Grenada, on the sidelines of the 2nd India-CARICOM Summit in Georgetown, Guyana.

The Prime Minister congratulated PM Mitchell for successfully conducting the 2nd India-CARICOM Summit.

"Discussions were held on development cooperation in the areas of education, ICT, healthcare, food security, cricket, capacity building, and sustainable development," the MEA said in a statement.

--IANS

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