MINISTER of Finance Dr. Ashni Singh met on Friday with Mr. Vivek Katju, Secretary (West) of the Ministry of External Affairs of the Republic of India. He welcomed Mr. Katju to Guyana, and acknowledged the historical bond, longstanding relationship, and strong cultural ties shared between the two countries. 
He also expressed his deep appreciation to the Government and People of India for the assistance and development support they provided Guyana over the years.
Specific areas of bilateral cooperation include the establishment of the Guyana/India Joint Commission, which meets biennially and give effect to the agreements between the two countries.
The last session of the Joint Commission was held here in Georgetown, and focused primarily on the strengthening of technical cooperation projects in the areas of Information and Communication Technology, Infrastructure, Education, Entrepreneurial Development and Mineral Exploration.
At Friday’s meeting, Dr. Singh highlighted recent projects which have been successfully financed with support by the Government of India, including the National Stadium at Providence, and other projects in the pipeline, including the construction of a multi-disciplinary super-specialty hospital in Georgetown.

Dr. Singh also expressed his appreciation for the leadership and advocacy provided by India within the international community on matters of interest to developing countries, and welcomed the growing interest being shown by Indian companies in investing in Guyana and in doing business with Guyanese companies.
He concluded by reiterating the government’s appreciation for India’s support for Guyana’s development efforts. (GINA)