PM Modi handed over key to Georgetown city; meets Indian diaspora in Guyana

PM Modi praises Indian diaspora in Guyana, marking first visit by Indian head of State in 50 years

In the first visit by an Indian head of the State to Guyana in more than 50 years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in the country on Wednesday (November 20, 2024) and said his visit “will deepen the friendship between our nations”.

In an unprecedented gesture, Mr. Modi was received at the airport by Guyana President Irfan Ali, his counterpart Mark Anthony Phillips, and over a dozen Cabinet Ministers. While at the hotel, they were joined by the Prime Ministers of Grenada, Dickon Mitchell and Barbados, Mia Amor Mottley too.

Mr. Modi was also handed over the ‘Key to the City of Georgetown’ as a testament to the close India-Guyana ties, officials said.

The Prime Minister is on the last leg of his three-nation visit after attending the G-20 summit in Brazil and visiting Nigeria. Mr. Modi, who is visiting Guyana at the invitation of President Ali, will remain in the country till Thursday.

“Landed in Guyana a short while ago. Gratitude to President Dr Irfaan Ali, PM Mark Anthony Phillips, senior ministers and other dignitaries for coming to receive me at the airport. I am confident this visit will deepen the friendship between our nations,” Mr. Modi posted on X soon after.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in a post on X along with photos described it as “A special welcome!” and said “this is the first visit by an Indian PM to Guyana in 56 years”.

“On his arrival at the hotel, PM @narendramodi received a special welcome by President @DrMohamedIrfaa1 of Guyana, PM Dickon Mitchell of Grenada, PM @miaamormottley of Barbados & several Cabinet Ministers of Guyana,” the MEA said in another post.

“PM was handed over the ‘Key to the City of Georgetown’ by the Mayor of Georgetown, as a testament to the close India-Guyana ties,” the MEA added.

During his visit, Mr. Modi will meet Mr. Ali and exchange views on giving strategic direction to the unique relationship between the two countries.

PM Modi also praised the Indian diaspora members – many of them migrated more than 180 years ago – in Guyana saying he was glad to see the members making a mark across different sectors. According to the MEA, there are around 3.2 lakh people of Indian origin in Guyana.

Apart from the people of Indian origin, there are about 2,000 Indian nationals, mainly restricted to members of the Indian Mission, Indian Cultural Centre of the Mission, staff of Bank of Baroda and other international agencies, doctors, nurses, students of private medical institutions and workers employed by local companies, hospitals and University of Guyana, according to the High Commission of India.

“A heartfelt thank you to the Indian community in Guyana for their warm and spirited welcome. They have shown that distance is never a barrier to staying connected to one’s roots. Glad to see the community making a mark here across different sectors,” PM Modi posted on X along with some photos from the interaction.

The community members were dressed in their traditional bests and many of them were seen carrying the Indian tricolour in their hands. PM Modi was also presented a sketch made by a member amid loud chanting of slogans.

Mr. Modi will also join leaders from the Caribbean partner countries for the second India-CARICOM summit.

The Prime Minister's three-nation visit included a “productive” trip to Nigeria, where he held bilateral talks with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and interacted with the Indian community. Mr. Modi's visit to Nigeria was the first trip to the West African country by an Indian PM in 17 years.

From Nigeria, he travelled to Brazil to attend the G-20 summit.

In Brazil, he met global leaders, including U.S. President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

During an address at a session of the summit on Monday, Mr. Modi said India's G-20 theme of “One Earth, One Family, One Future” was as relevant at the latest summit as it was last year.

“The countries of the Global South are most adversely impacted by the food, fuel, and fertiliser crisis caused by global conflicts and the G-20 must focus on addressing it,” the PM said.

On Tuesday (November 19, 2024), Mr. Modi held several bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit and met leaders from Brazil, Italy, Indonesia, Portugal, Norway, Chile, Argentina, Egypt, and South Korea and discussed ways to deepen ties in sectors such as defence, security, trade, and technology.

Published - November 20, 2024 01:07 pm IST