5 things about Irfaan Ali, Guyana's president, as he hosts Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark upon a historic visit to Guyana, the first Indian leader to do so in 56 years.

A lot is on the plate as Modi is set to meet Guyana’s President Mohamed Irfaan Ali with an emphasis on energy talks .

India and Guyana have also aimed to strengthen cooperation in key areas, including agriculture, pharmaceuticals, oil and gas, renewable energy, information and communication technology, and education.

PM Modi will be visiting the country at the invitation of President Ali who is looking forward to the visit of the Indian leader. The last time an Indian Prime Minister visited Guyana was in 1968 when Indira Gandhi went to the South American country, two years after it gained independence from Britain.

Here are five things to know about President Ali as he meets PM Modi for the first time:

• Mohamed Irfaan Ali was sworn in as Guyana's ninth president in August 2020

• Born into an Indo-Guyanese in 1980, Ali is a native of Leonora, West Coast Demarara

• Ali holds an extensive academic background, including a Doctorate in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of the West Indies. Additionally, Ali earned a Master of Arts in Manpower Planning, a Postgraduate Diploma in International Business, and a Postgraduate Certificate in Finance from Anglia Ruskin University

• The president has served as the Project Manager of the Caribbean Development Bank’s Project Implementation Unit in the Ministry of Finance and as Senior Planner in the State Planning Secretariat

• In 2006, Ali was inducted into the National Assembly of Guyana and was subsequently given the portfolios of Minister of Housing and Water and Minister of Tourism Industry and Commerce. As the minister of housing, he implemented a series of extensive endowment campaign