Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi is to make a “historic” state visit to the oil-rich Caribbean nation of Guyana this week when the two countries are expected to sign energy and defense agreements.
Modi’s visit to the country from today to Thursday would be the first from an Indian prime minister since Indira Gandhi’s in 1968, two years after Guyana gained independence from the UK.
He is expected to have bilateral discussions with Guyanese President Irfaan Ali and address a special sitting of the country’s 65-seat parliament.
Photo: AFP
Guyanese Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud has described the visit as a significant milestone in the relations between two of the world’s fastest-growing economies.
Guyana has been experiencing “extraordinary economic growth” of more than 40 percent in the last three years owing to its oil boom, the World Bank said.
The country has become a magnet for global trade and investment interests, recently attracting a visit from Canada’s top commercial and development entities to explore investment opportunities.
Helped by their strong historical and cultural ties, India and Guyana said they are looking forward to mutually beneficial agreements.
Modi would also meet other leaders from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), an intergovernmental organization of 15 Caribbean nations, including Guyana, at a CARICOM-India summit on Thursday, which he would co-chair with Grenadian Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell.
India’s aims for the summit probably include improving its global foreign policy profile and tapping into the region’s burgeoning energy complex, said Scott MacDonald, an economist and Caribbean Policy Consortium fellow.
“Guyana is climbing the ranks as an oil province. It will continue to grow for both oil and natural gas and, let’s face it, India faces a deficit in terms of its ability to generate power. It needs imported energy,” he said.
Nearly 40 percent of Guyana’s population is of East Indian origin. Many still follow the cultural and religious practices of their ancestors who were shipped to Guyana From 1838 to 1917 as indentured laborers to plug the labor gap on plantations after the abolition of slavery.
During his visit, Modi would address the Indian community and Indian diaspora and take part in a floral tribute at the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Guyana’s Georgetown, which was installed in 1969 during the Mahatma Gandhi centenary celebrations.
He would also visit the Indian Arrival Monument, which commemorates the arrival of the first ship carrying Indian indentured laborers to the Caribbean.
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