 "Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Guyana on the last leg of his three-nation visit after attending the G20 Summit in Brazil. Source: X | @narendramodi")
Narendra Modi arrived in Guyana on Wednesday, becoming the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the South American nation in 56 years.
Former PM Indira Gandhi was the last Indian leader to visit Guyana in 1968.
In an unprecedented gesture, PM Modi was received at the airport by Guyana’s President Irfan Ali and over a dozen Cabinet ministers.
After landing in Guyana, on the last leg of his three-nation visit after attending the G20 Summit in Brazil, PM Modi shared a post on X, expressing gratitude to President Irfaan Ali, PM Mark Anthony Phillips, senior ministers and other dignitaries for receiving him at the airport.
“I am confident this visit will deepen the friendship between our nations,” PM Modi said.
Impact Shorts
View AllPM Modi also received ceremonial welcome and Guard of Honour in Georgetown, Guyana.
Guyana, Barbados follow Dominica, to confer their top awards to PM Modi
Moments after PM Modi touched down Guyana, the country announced that it will confer its highest national award, ‘The Order of Excellence’ on the Indian Prime Minister.
Barbados also said that it will confer its prestigious ‘Honorary Order of Freedom of Barbados’ on PM Modi
This comes just within days after Dominica felicitated its highest National Award - ‘Dominica Award of Honour’ on PM Modi.
Number of international honours for PM Modi now reaches 19.
Modi to co-chair India-Caricom Summit
In Guyana, PM Modi will co-chair the second India-Caricom Summit alongside the Prime Minister of Grenada, Dickon Mitchell, the current Chairman of Caricom (Caribbean Community and Common Market), in the presence of leaders from all Caricom countries.
In the summit, PM Modi will be highlighting India’s role as the voice of the Global South that supports the political and economic aspirations of Caricom countries.
PM Modi is also scheduled to hold delegation-level talks with the president of Guyana and address the National Assembly of Guyana.
Ahead of his visit to Guyana, PM Modi in a statement said that he will pay his respects to one of the oldest Indian community, who migrated more than 185 years ago.
“We will exchange views on giving strategic direction to our unique relationship, which is based on shared heritage, culture and values,” the Prime Minister said.
Guyana’s Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo said that the visit of PM Modi to the country “underlines the historically strong relations between India and Guyana."
What is Caricom?
Caricom is a group of Caribbean countries. There are 21 countries of which 15 are Member States and six are Associate Members.
The first summit was held in 2019 on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly where India offered a $150 million credit line for climate change and renewable energy projects.
According to the Caricom website, the second India-Caricom Summit on November 20, 2024 is expected to further solidify bilateral cooperation between Caricom and India in energy and infrastructure, agriculture and food security, health and pharmaceuticals, technology and innovation, as well as human resources and capacity building.
How will Modi’s Guyana visit benefit India?
According to a report by IANS, PM Modi will be looking to Guyana for India’s energy security. The small Caribbean nation is steadily emerging as a potential major petroleum and gas power.
According to the US Energy Information Agency, the estimate of oil and natural gas resources in Guyana is more than 11 billion oil-equivalent barrels, which is more than three times Kuwait’s.
Guyana could play a crucial role in India’s quest to diversify its energy sources, the report added.
The visit of PM Modi is also expected to open new avenues for collaboration, strengthening India-Guyana ties and encouraging regional partnerships.
India-Guyana relations
India-Guyana relations are underpinned by structured bilateral mechanisms, including a joint commission at the ministerial level and periodic consultations between foreign offices.
Cultural exchange programs and a joint business council, established between the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) and the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GCCI), further bolster ties.
Developmental cooperation primarily takes place through the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme, which offers 50 scholarships annually across diverse fields.
The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) provides scholarships for Guyanese students to pursue undergraduate, postgraduate, and medical courses. To date, over 600 Indian scholars have completed training under ITEC.
India has also extended credit facilities to Guyana for agriculture and information technology initiatives, with Indian companies exploring opportunities in sectors such as biofuels, energy, minerals, and pharmaceuticals.
India has also provided assistance to Guyana with several projects, including $25 million National Cricket Stadium which was the venue for the T20 World Cup Cricket this year.
Indians in Guyana
People of Indian descent make up 39.8 per cent of the population of Guyana, with Hindus at 28.4 per cent of the largest religious community.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), there are around 3,20,000 people of Indian origin in Guyana.
India-Guyana trade
The trade between India and Guyana in 2021-22 was $223.36 million, with Guyana’s exports amounting to $156.96 million, boosted by energy products.
With inputs from agencies.