Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi arrives in Guyana this evening on an official three-day state visit.
President Irfaan Ali said military cooperation and climate change are among key issues to be discussed when he meets with Prime Minister Modi for bilateral talks on Wednesday.
During a recent interview, the President said Guyana is looking to expand its military cooperation with India.
“We acquired two Dornier from them. There are other military assets that we have acquired from them. The most intense training programmes in our history are going on now with the Guyana Police Force and with the military exchanges. So, we have a strong miliary cooperation going on so that is definitely something that we will be looking to talk about and expanding,” President Ali said.
He said there is also much to learn from India in the areas of agriculture, agro-processing and the development of small and medium-sized businesses.
“India has a very young population that would be part of the future economy. They have mastered the art of building SMEs; they have mastered the art of creating technological advances that position them well globally; and they have also mastered the art of converting raw food into value-added, agro-processing, and these are all things that we are pursuing,” the President said.
Manufacturing and industrial development, energy, and technology are also areas that Guyana wants to explore even further with India, the President said.
“Also, we have to look at the building out of the healthcare sector because they are big into health tourism and we are trying to enter that market to see how we a build our healthcare system to be a revenue earner for us,” the President added.
Last January, during a visit to India by President Ali, the Governments of India and Guyana agreed to establish working groups in a number of critical areas of agriculture and food production, information and communications technology and defence.
During his state visit, Prime Minister Modi will also co-chair the 2nd India-CARICOM Summit alongside Grenada’s Prime Minister, Dickon Mitchell.
According to the Department of Public Information, he will also address the National Assembly, visit the Mahatma Gandhi statue at the Promenade Garden, and pay homage at the Indian Arrival Monument.
The two countries have been directly linked through mutual investments in renewable energy and sustainable development. India has also extended Lines of Credit to Guyana for various development projects, such as the construction of roads, bridges, and hospitals.
Guyana and India established diplomatic relations in 1966, and continue to have a robust developmental cooperation programme aimed towards mutual benefits.
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