PRESIDENT, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, in delivering the feature address at India’s 72nd Republic Day Anniversary celebration, lauded the contribution of India to the growth and development of Guyana in a number of critical areas including human resource development, infrastructure, information and communication technology and transportation, among others. Guyana and India established diplomatic relations on October 6, 1972 and ever since ties between the two countries have always been warm and cordial.

Interaction between the two countries is structured through periodic Joint Commissions, Foreign Office Consultations, Cultural Exchange Programmes and the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC). As observed by President Ali, it was through the generosity of India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, that Guyana was able to kick-start its COVID-19 immunisation campaign at a time when many countries were struggling to obtain vaccines, an indication of the goodwill and leadership displayed by the Indian Government. Such close relations between Guyana and India continue to grow stronger and stronger with several new development projects coming on stream. And, according to India’s High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr. K J Srinivasa, the Government of India is willing to continue doing business with Guyana, especially in terms of the purchasing of Guyana’s share of oil lift to fuel the country’s massive economic expansion. India currently imports roughly 85 per cent of its petroleum needs and with oil production picking up momentum in Guyana, interest in Guyana’s oil is high on the business agenda of India.

It is natural for the two countries to forge diplomatic, cultural and economic ties. The majority of Guyana’s population are descendants from Indian indentured labourers who toiled in the sugar plantations to eke out a living and in the process helped to create and shape a new society. Together with the other ethnic groups, especially, Africans and Amerindians whom they came and met, a society was forged, one in which all Guyanese are today proud citizens. That transition from a slave society, to one of indentureship, colonialism, neo-colonialism and now republican status was never easy, but in the end the spirt of resilience and the will to conquer prevailed.

Guyana, like India, is making waves on the global stage. Guyana is today among the fastest growing economies in the world, thanks to the emerging oil and gas sector, with the country experiencing this year a staggering 47.5 per cent growth rate, the highest in the world. Much of that high growth rate is attributable also to the generous contributions the country is getting from friendly nations of which India is certainly one. India also over the years experienced high levels of economic growth which has transformed the country into a global economic powerhouse. With a population of 1.2 billion, India is the world’s largest democracy and over the past two decades the country has made remarkable progress in reducing poverty. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in some slowing down of its robust economic growth rate, a situation not uncommon to many other countries in the world.

There is much that the two countries can learn from each other as they both seek not only to consolidate, but to accelerate economic growth and development.  Indeed, President Ali in his remarks said that Guyana would look to emulate India’s leadership qualities, especially through the country’s expanded Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) and its current international commitments on environmental management. Guyana, it must be noted, is already playing a lead role in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in terms of food security and sustainable agriculture development. In fact, efforts are currently underway to reducing the food import bill of the region by 25 per cent in the next three years.

According to President Ali, Guyana is already following India’s initiative “by expanding access to and use of renewables, by strengthening bilateral relationships, by enhancing the country’s democracy, by fortifying its laws to ensure it reflects the needs and will of the people and by embarking on an aggressive initiative to transform the country’s human resources through training and educational opportunities.”

“Like India, we are also transforming infrastructure landscape, modernising our landscape, making our infrastructure system, our transportation system more efficient and reliable. Importantly, like India, we are also in the process of rebranding our country…. when Guyana is heard in the international community it must be synonymous with democracy, the rule of law, safe and stable macro-economic environment and more importantly, a people that are willing to contribute our bit to global development.” These are indeed deeply profound and forward-looking thinking on the part of President Ali, who from the time he took over the presidency on August 2020 has been taking all the necessary measures to re-orient the country’s foreign policy to one of forging strategic partnerships with the rest of the world with a view to re-positioning the country as a major economic player on the international stage.

The fact is that the international environment has changed dramatically since the days of the Cold War when the bigger powers were vying for spheres of influence and developing countries were expected to belong to one or the other of the opposing political and ideological camps. Guyana is today a free, independent and sovereign nation and its relations with other nations are influenced by the country’s territorial integrity, mutual economic and cultural benefits and the fostering of a climate of world peace and stability. In this regard, Guyana has found a true friend in India, and according to President Ali, the friendship will continue to grow and deepen.