India’s PM Narendra Modi arrives in Guyana for 3-day State visit

– welcomed at CJIA by President Ali

– energy, military cooperation among other matters up for discussion today

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Singh Modi arrived in Guyana on Tuesday evening for a three-day State Visit, during which he is expected to discuss matters, including energy and military cooperation, with Guyana’s President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali.

Prime Minister Modi was greeted at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) by President Dr. Irfaan Ali, who was accompanied by his Cabinet Ministers, including Prime Minister Brigadier (retired) Mark Phillips, Attorney General Anil Nandlall, and Foreign Affairs Minister Hugh Todd, among others. PM Modi has become the first Indian PM to visit Guyana in 56 years – with the last being Indira Gandhi in 1968.
Upon his arrival, he was given a red-carpet welcome followed by a military salute by members of the Guyana Defence Force. In addition, he received a 21-gun salute, and inspected the Guard of Honour before being whisked away to the capital city for a welcome reception at the Marriott Hotel in Kingston.
Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Georgetown coincides with his travel to neighbouring Brazil, where he attended the G20 Summit which was held from November 18-19 in Rio. During his visit to Brazil Modi met global leaders that included U.S. President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Modi had also visited Nigeria, where he had bilateral talks with Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and interacted with the Indian community.
Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Guyana marks a significant step in strengthening bilateral ties between Guyana and India, and has prompted heightened security measures and logistical preparations. Modi’s packed itinerary includes meetings with President Dr Irfaan Ali and his Cabinet; attending a Caricom Summit, and addressing the Guyana National Assembly.
This visit by the Indian Leader comes on the heels of several high-level visits to India made by senior officials of the Guyana Government in recent years, including President Dr Irfaan Ali, Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, and Prime Minister Mark Phillips, along with a host of Cabinet Ministers.
In January 2023, President Ali was conferred with the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award (PBSA) in Indore, Mahdya Pradesh. He was bestowed with the 17th PBSA award – the highest honour conferred on overseas Indians – by Indian President Droupadi Murmu during the valedictory session of the 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention. During that visit, President Ali and PM Modi held comprehensive discussions on a wide range of issues, including cooperation in energy, infrastructure development, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, technology and innovation, and defence cooperation.
Only last Sunday, a few days ago, the two Dornier HAL-228-201 aircraft which were purchased from India earlier this year were officially commissioned at Air Station London at Timehri, East Bank Demerara.
Back in March, the Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance and the Public Service, Dr. Ashni Singh, had signed a Line of Credit (LOC) Agreement worth US$23.27 million with the Export-Import Bank of India (EXIM Bank) to procure the two aircraft.
Guyana/India trade ties are also at an all-time high. Earlier this year, it was revealed that India had sourced as much as US$149 million in crude oil from Guyana between 2021 and 2022. This growth in hydrocarbon trade between the two countries was described as an all-time high by India’s Union Minister for Housing & Urban Affairs & Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri.
India is already expected to partner with Guyana in critical areas in the oil and gas sector, including refining crude oil, as the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Indian Government approved the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two nations in January 2024.
According to a statement from the Indian Bureau of Information, the Indian Cabinet approved the signing of an MoU between the Indian Ministries of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Guyana’s Ministry of Natural Resources which will last for five years. This MoU would see India sourcing crude from Guyana, an arrangement that it had previously utilized such as in 2021, when HPCL-Mittal Energy Ltd (HMEL), a joint venture between State-run Hindustan Petroleum Corp and Indian steel tycoon LN Mittal had bought Guyana’s crude. The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Modi approved the signing of the MoU between the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, Government of India, and the Ministry of Natural Resources, Republic of Guyana, on cooperation in the hydrocarbon sector.
Another area the MoU covers is cooperation with Guyana for crude oil refining. Additionally, it will create opportunities for Indian companies to explore and produce oil in Guyana and for collaboration on natural gas.
At the governmental level, the MoU allows for capacity building, strengthening bilateral trade, collaborating to develop oil and gas-related regulations, and cooperation on renewable and clean energy, including biofuels and solar energy.
It was also announced in January last year that India, where President Ali had led a delegation of Guyanese earlier that month, had made an initial proposal on the direct long-term purchase of crude. At the time, it had been announced that Guyana was examining the proposal at a technical level.