PM Modi meets with Caricom leaders at UNGA

India’s historic and warm relations with the countries of the Caribbean witnessed a new momentum with the meeting of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with 14 leaders of the Caricom group of countries on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Wednesday in New York.

Current Caricom Chairman, St Lucia PM Allen Chastenet co-chaired the meeting. The meeting was attended by the Heads of Governments of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago; the Vice President of Suriname, and the Foreign Ministers of the Bahamas, Belize, Grenada, Haiti and Guyana.
It was the first-ever meeting of PM Modi with Caricom leaders in a regional format and highlighted the steadily intensifying and deepening relations between India and partner countries of the Caribbean, not only in the bilateral, but also in the regional context. PM Modi reiterated India’s firm commitment to strengthen its political, economic and cultural engagement with Caricom. He noted the presence of more than a million-strong Indian Diaspora as a vibrant and enduring link of friendship with the Caribbean.
The meeting deliberated on strengthening the political and institutional dialogue processes, boosting economic cooperation, increasing trade and investment and fostering greater and more robust people- to- people relations. PM Modi also laid emphasis on partnering with Caricom countries in capacity building, development assistance and cooperation in disaster management and resilience. He invited Caricom countries to join the International Solar Alliance and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure. The PM then expressed his condolences on the destruction caused by Hurricane Dorian in the region and the worst-hit island of Bahamas to which India has provided immediate financial assistance of US$ 1 million.
PM Modi announced a US$14 million grant for community development projects in Caricom and another US$150 million line of credit for solar, renewable energy and climate- change related projects. He also announced the setting-up of the Regional Centre for Excellence in Information Technology in Georgetown, Guyana and the Regional Vocational Training Centre in Belize by upgrading the existing India-funded centres in these countries. The Indian PM also expressed support for specialised capacity-building courses, training and deputation of Indian experts based on the needs and requirements of the Caricom countries. He invited a parliamentary delegation from Caricom to visit India in the near future.
Caricom leaders welcomed the initiatives proposed by PM Modi to strengthen engagement and cooperation between the two sides, and reassured him of full support from their respective Governments.
It was decided that a Joint Task Force would be set up to expeditiously look into possible areas of cooperation and identify the way forward.