Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in the Caribbean country of Guyana on Wednesday morning after the G-20 summit meeting in Brazil. President of Guyana Mohamed Irfan and Prime Minister Antony Phillips broke protocol and arrived at the airport to welcome him in the capital Georgetown. Around a dozen cabinet ministers also welcomed PM Modi along with him. He was also given a guard of honor at the airport itself.
PM Modi will be honored with the highest national award 'The Order of Excellence' in Guyana. Apart from this, Barbados will also honor him with the 'Honorary Award of Freedom of Barbados'. Earlier, the Caribbean country Dominica has also announced to give its highest honor 'Dominica Award of Honour' to PM Modi. The PM will also receive this award in Guyana.
PM Modi was welcomed with a cultural presentation at Georgetown Hotel.
On reaching the hotel in Georgetown, people of Indian origin gave PM Modi a warm welcome.
PM Modi will be on a state visit to Guyana on November 20 and 21. He is the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Guyana in 56 years. Before him, Indira Gandhi went to Guyana in 1968. PM Modi will address a special session of Guyana's Parliament. He will also participate in the CARICOM-India Summit.
After the discovery of oil and gas mines in Guyana in 2020, its GDP is growing at a rate of about 40% annually. Due to this it has become a center of trade and investment. In such a situation, a deal regarding energy and defense resources may be struck between PM Modi and Guyana President Mohammad Irfan Ali during his visit to Guyana.
40% of Guyana's population is of Indian origin. The ancestors of President Mohammad Irfan Ali himself were brought to the Caribbean country by a British ship.
In January last year Guyana's President Mohammad Irfan Ali visited India as the chief guest at the Indian Tourist Convention. Vice President Bharat Jagdev also came to India in February 2023. Guyana Prime Minister Mark Phillips also visited India in February this year.
Natural gas and oil deposits near Guyana Guyana is a member of CARICOM, a group of 21 Caribbean countries. The group works to promote economic, political and social integration among Caribbean countries. Guyana is also known as the “Granary of the Caribbean”. At the same time, Guyana's strategic location also increases due to its proximity to the Panama Canal.
According to a World Bank report, Guyana has an estimated 11.2 billion barrels of oil reserves and 17 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. In 2020, the per capita income here exceeded $18,199 after the discovery of natural gas and oil reserves.
Relations between Guyana and India The Indian Commission was established in May 1965 in Georgetown, the capital of Guyana. Indira Gandhi visited Guyana in 1968, two years after independence. In 1988 the then Vice President Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma and in 2006 the then Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat paid a state visit to Guyana.
Total India-Guya mutual trade in 2023-24 was US$ 105.97 million. India exported $99.36 million to Guyana during this period.
As of May 2024, Guyana was producing about 645,000 barrels of crude oil and gas. Keeping this in mind the Oil and Natural Gas arm 'ONGC Videsh' is also continuously looking for opportunities here. Earlier this year, India approved a five-year MoU with Guyana to cooperate in hydrocarbons, including crude oil sourcing.
Guyana's Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud described Modi's visit to Guyana as an important milestone in the relationship between the world's two fastest growing economies. Energy and defense agreements are expected to be signed between the two countries during the visit. Bilateral talks can also take place on infrastructure, food security, health and technology.
Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).
