Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton today lauded the Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) signed between Guyana and India in the areas of health, energy, finance, agriculture and technology, as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to Guyana. 

Speaking to News Source on the sidelines of today’s Special Sitting of the National Assembly, Mr. Norton said he is looking forward to the full implementation of the agreement by Guyana and India.

“I think the areas that they would have signed agreements in are key areas, and I do hope implementation will follow because you can have memoranda of understanding but if you don’t follow-up and implement then it could just become a piece of paper,” the Opposition Leader said. 

The Governments of Guyana and India, on Wednesday signed a total of five Memoranda of Understanding. 

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Guyana’s Ministry of Health and India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in the field of medical products regulation.

It aims to facilitate constructive dialogue on laws and regulations related to medical products and to strengthen the relationship between India and Guyana in the area of medical products, while ensuring that the implementation is subject to national laws and available resources.

Under another MOU, Guyana and India are expected to establish a framework for both countries to enhance bilateral collaboration in the hydrocarbon sector. It encompasses investment promotion, technology transfer, joint studies, and capacity building across the entire hydrocarbon value chain. The agreement underscores a shared commitment to fostering energy security and advancing mutual development priorities.

The other three MOUs cover the Agriculture and Allied Sector, exploration and deployment of the Unified Payment Interface (UPI) technology, and Pharmacopoeia Cooperation. 

The Opposition Leader said in addition to the MOUs signed, the Opposition was hoping that Guyana would have signed an agreement with the global economic powerhouse in the area of manufacturing. 

“Guyana has to shift from being the kind of economy it is to a diversified economy. So, I would have liked to see, in addition to Agriculture and Education, something concrete on this whole question of the agro-processing sector and manufacturing generally. I think Guyana has to move in the direction of ensuring that we promote manufacturing, that we promote agro-processing because those will take us out of the mono, semi-mono crop kind of economy, and give us a diversified economy that can withstand the problems in the world even when oil is in trouble, and even after oil,” Norton explained. 

In his conversation with Prime Minister Modi today, the Opposition Leader said he also made a case for greater representation of low-lying developing states such as Guyana. 

“I said to him I have only one concern that they tend to speak to small island states while the language of the United Nations has always been small island states and low-lying developing country. And, since Guyana is a low-lying developing country, I asked him, that in his engagement, that element be pushed and be added. 

During his three-day state visit, the Indian Prime Minister engaged the country’s leaders, and co-chaired the Second India-CARICOM Summit, which explored a number of areas for collaboration. 

He was also conferred with Guyana’s highest national award, the Order of Excellence.

Related posts:

Closer linkages needed between CARICOM and India -says PM Mitchell Guyana and India agree to strengthen ties in energy security and defence, agriculture, health and business No agreement signed with India on sale of Guyana’s crude or exploration -says Jagdeo Guyana and India to sign Air Services Agreement