THE High Commissioner of India, Venkatachalam Mahalingam, told the media on Wednesday that the possibility of twinning Georgetown with a city in India is being explored.

This announcement was made following a courtesy call with the Mayor of Georgetown, Ubraj Narine.
The visit, the high commissioner said, was to formulate an agenda on how the Government of India, High Commissioner of India and the mayor can work together to build better relations between India and Guyana.

Coming out of the engagement was the possible signing of a twinning arrangement between Georgetown and Kolkata (a city in India). A twinning arrangement is a form of legal or social agreement between towns, cities, counties, provinces, regions, states, and even countries in geographically and politically distinct areas, to promote cultural and commercial ties.

He also highlighted that amongst their list of plans, they are looking towards rehabilitating the Gandhi statue in the Promenade Gardens. “We have discussed many things, including capacity building… So our agenda is not limited to these things mentioned”, High Commissioner Mahalingam noted.

Mayor Narine expressed gratitude to the high commissioner for taking time off from his busy schedule to visit the City Council. “As I said time and time again, we are here to build, not walls, but bridges. And we can see that it is happening, and a lot more will be coming soon,” he said. The mayor also mentioned that a scholarship programme for Guyanese students to study in India was discussed.

Everything else, he added, will be unveiled to the public in due time. “We will work continuously towards developing Georgetown into a better place, and the country by extension”, the mayor emphasised.