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

He co-chaired discussions with 14 participating nations alongside Guyana’s President Mohamed Irfaan Ali and Grenada’s Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell. The summit highlighted India’s leadership as a voice for the Global South and its support for the Caribbean region’s political and economic aspirations.

CARICOM, the Caribbean Community, is a regional group of nations. The first India-CARICOM summit, held in 2019 during the UN General Assembly, saw India offering a $150 million credit line for climate change and renewable energy initiatives. This second summit seeks to deepen partnerships in trade, climate action, energy, and cultural exchange.

“India is an important global actor. Our Member States are keen to meet Prime Minister Modi and develop deeper technical relationships, deepen advocacy for small states in the international arena, and strengthen people-to-people ties,” said CARICOM Assistant Secretary-General Elizabeth Solomon.

Guyana, an emerging energy powerhouse with oil reserves estimated at over 11 billion barrels, is a key player in India’s quest to diversify its energy sources. PM Modi discussed energy partnerships while highlighting the longstanding cultural and historic ties between the two nations.

Prime Minister Modi met with Barbados PM Mia Amor Mottley on November 20, 2024. During the meeting, Ms 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, 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 and pharma, and collaboration at the United Nations.”