Dominica President Sylvanie Burton and Guyana President Mohammed Irfan honored Prime Minister Modi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi received the ‘Dominica Honor Award’ from the Caribbean country Dominica in Guyana. Dominica President Sylvanie Burton honored Prime Minister Modi with her country’s highest honor. Prime Minister Modi received this award for delivering the vaccine to Dominica during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Guyana also honored Modi with its highest national honor, the “Order of Excellence,” and Barbados awarded him the Honorary Order of Freedom of Barbados. He dedicated the award to all Indians. Apart from this, during his two-day visit to Guyana, Prime Minister Modi also participated in the second India-CARICOM summit with representatives from Caribbean countries.
On the sidelines of the summit, the Prime Minister held bilateral discussions with representatives of Caribbean countries. Besides Guyanese President Mohammad Irfan, Prime Minister Modi held formal talks with other leaders, including Dominican Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit and Suriname President Chan Santokhi.
After the talks, Prime Minister Modi and President Irfan also addressed the people. The President of Guyana said:
It is the greatest honor for us to have PM Modi here. He is a champion among leaders. Modi has shown excellent leadership. Showed light to the developing world. This development method has been adopted, and many people are adopting it in their countries.
Modi thanked President Irfan for welcoming him to Guyana. He said President Irfan enjoyed special relations with India. He is the brand ambassador of the Indian community.
The Prime Minister said he came to visit Guyana after almost 24 years. Earlier, he came to Guyana on a personal visit as a common man. This is the visit of an Indian Prime Minister to Guyana after 56 years.
Important points of PM Modi in his speech:-
India has made a significant contribution to the skills development of the Guyanese population. We will take this cooperation forward. India will continue to contribute to the development of the capabilities of Guyanese troops through scholarships and training. Last year, we supplied millets, thereby contributing to food security. Now they will also contribute to the cultivation of other cultures. A memorandum of understanding was signed to increase cooperation between agricultural institutions of the two countries and India will open the Jan Aushadhi Center in Guyana.
After the speech, Prime Minister Modi and President Irfan planted saplings.
Prime Minister Modi contacted Guyanese President Irfan along with his wife and children to plant saplings.
Modi reached Guyana after attending the G20 summit. Earlier, Prime Minister Modi arrived in Guyana on Wednesday morning after the G20 summit in Brazil. In the capital Georgetown, Guyanese President Mohammed Irfan and Prime Minister Antony Phillips broke protocol and arrived at the airport to welcome him. Alongside him, a dozen ministers also welcomed Prime Minister Modi. He also received the guard of honor at the airport itself.
PM Modi will receive the highest national honor “The Order of Excellence” in Guyana. Apart from this, Barbados will also honor him with the “Honorary Barbados Freedom Award”.
PM Modi welcomed with a cultural presentation at the Georgetown hotel.
Arriving at the Georgetown hotel, people of Indian origin warmly welcomed PM Modi.
Prime Minister Modi will pay a state visit to Guyana on November 20-21. He is the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Guyana in 56 years. Before him, Indira Gandhi visited Guyana in 1968. Prime Minister Modi will address a special meeting of the Parliament of Guyana. He will also participate in the CARICOM-India summit.
After the discovery of oil and gas mines in Guyana in 2020, its GDP is growing at the rate of around 40% per year. It is for this reason that it has become a center of trade and investment. In such a situation, during the visit to Guyana, an agreement related to energy and defense resources could be concluded between Prime Minister Modi and Guyanese President Mohammad Irfan Ali.
40% of the Guyanese population is of Indian origin. The ancestors of President Mohammad Irfan Ali himself were brought to the Caribbean country on a British ship.
In January last year, Guyana’s President Mohammad Irfan Ali had come to India as the chief guest of the Pravasi Bharatiya Conference. Vice President Bharat Jagdev also visited India in February 2023. In February this year, Guyana’s Prime Minister Mark Phillips also visited India.
Guyana has natural gas and oil reserves. Guyana is a member of CARICOM, a group of 21 Caribbean countries. The group works to promote economic, political and social integration among Caribbean countries. Guyana is also known as the “breadbasket of the Caribbean”. At the same time, Guyana’s strategic location is also increasing due to its proximity to the Panama Canal.
According to the World Bank report, Guyana has approximately 11.2 billion barrels of oil reserves and 17 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. After the discovery of natural gas and oil reserves in 2020, per capita income exceeded $18,199.
Guyana-India Relations The Indian Commission was established in Georgetown, the capital of Guyana, in May 1965. Indira Gandhi visited Guyana in 1968, just two years after its independence. In 1988, the then Vice President, Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma, and in 2006, the then Vice President, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, paid a state visit to Guyana.
The total trade between India and Guyana in 2023-2024 stood at US$ 105.97 million. During this period, India exported $99.36 million worth to Guyana.
As of May 2024, Guyana produced approximately 645,000 barrels of crude oil and gas. Keeping this in mind, the oil and natural gas arm “ONGC Videsh” is also continuously looking for opportunities here. Earlier this year, India approved a five-year memorandum of understanding with Guyana to cooperate in hydrocarbons, including the supply of crude oil.
Guyana’s Foreign Minister Robert Persaud described Modi’s visit to Guyana as an important milestone in relations between the world’s two fastest growing economies. Energy and defense agreements are expected to be signed between the two countries during this visit. Bilateral negotiations can also take place on infrastructure, food security, health and technology.
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