President Irfaan Ali extended “congratulations and best wishes” to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who celebrated his 70th birthday on Thursday.
“Excellency, since assuming office you have led India to unparalleled prosperity. India continues to shine as it assumes its rightful place among great nations of the world,” President Ali said, according to a statement from the Office of the President.
President Irfaan Ali
The Guyanese Head of State added that he looked forward to actively working with Prime Minister Modi for the furtherance of the common objectives of the two countries.
“Please accept, Excellency, the assurance of my highest consideration and best wishes for your continued good health and well-being,” President Ali stated.
Guyana and India have cultivated excellent and mutually-beneficial relations ever since the two countries established diplomatic ties on May 26, 1966.
Following his assumption of office in August, President Ali received a congratulatory correspondence from Prime Minister Modi.
The Indian leader highlighted in the correspondence that Guyana and India enjoyed close and cordial relations based on the foundations of democracy, shared culture, and history. However, he noted that there was tremendous potential to further enhance economic, cultural, and people-to-people ties between the two countries.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi
“I look forward to working with you to advance our bilateral and multilateral cooperation in all fora including UN (United Nations) and Caricom (Caribbean Community) for the mutual benefit of our people,” he stated.
India was among Guyana’s bilateral partners who lent their voices to call for democracy to be upheld here during the tumultuous five months when the country was embroiled in a political and electoral impasse.
After five months of litigation and delay tactics by the then incumbent coalition government, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) was officially declared the winner of the elections and Irfaan Ali was sworn in as Guyana’s ninth Executive President on August 2.
Shortly after taking office, President Ali met with Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr KJ Srinivasa, and has enlisted India’s assistance to donate supplies to further enhance Guyana’s capacity to tackle COVID-19.
Additionally, the PPP/C Administration is also working closely with the Indian Government in several other areas including infrastructural works, particularly as it relates to the East Bank-East Coast bypass road, and the agriculture sector, specifically the sugar industry.
Since establishing diplomatic relations in 1966, Guyana and India have maintained a strong bond on the bilateral and multilateral fronts given the similarities of not only their democracies and colonial background, but also their multiracial and multicultural societies.
Over the years, Guyana has become the beneficiary of several loans and line of credits from the Indian Government towards infrastructure, health care and education development, including for the establishment of the cricket stadium, traffic lights in Georgetown, and the supply of 14 irrigation drainage pumps.
Currently, there are seven projects that the Indian Government is either fully or partially funding in Guyana. Among these are the US$50 million East Bank Demerara-East Coast Demerara bypass road; the US$17.50 million modernisation of the Bartica, West Demerara and Suddie Hospitals; the US$18 million acquisition of a passenger ferry and the setting up of an Information Technology Centre of Excellence in Guyana.
