-President Ali

WITH Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi set for a state visit to Guyana next week, several important topics are on the cards for discussion to strengthen the existing relations between the two countries.

Modi is expected to visit Guyana from November 19 to 21 during which he will participate in bilateral meetings and even co-chair the 2nd India-CARICOM summit to be held here in Georgetown.

During an interview on Wednesday, President Dr Irfaan Ali noted that while he would not go into specific details on agreements that are expected to be signed, he said that the two countries are looking at a number of possibilities.

He added that India has a very young population and has mastered the art of building Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME) along with the art of creating technological advances that position the country well globally.

Added to this, he said that the country has mastered the art of converting raw food into value-added products through agro-processing and these are all areas that will be discussed by the two leaders.

“These are all things that we are pursuing, so, we are discussing with them,” he added.

With this, he indicated that the two countries have established military co-operation as Guyana has acquired military assets from India.

This he said comes at a time when the most intense training programmes are ongoing with Guyana’s armed forces along with military exchanges.

“So that is definitely something that we will be looking to talk about,” he disclosed.

Further to this, President Ali said that support in agriculture, agro-processing and the transfer of technology is also on the cards along with looking at how they can help Guyana develop SMEs
“Manufacturing, industrial development, energy, climate and environment; those are all things that are going to be on the table for discussion … ways in which we can collaborate,” the head of state said.

Additionally, he indicated that Guyana’s current efforts to boost its healthcare sector will also be discussed as India is big on health tourism.

“We are trying to enter that market to see how we can build our healthcare system to be a revenue arm for us. So, these are some of the things that will be on the agenda,” he said.

Earlier this week a release from the Office of the President noted that, during the visit, the Indian Prime Minister will engage in summit-level bilateral discussions with President Ali.

Additionally, Prime Minister Modi is also scheduled to address the National Assembly of the Parliament of Guyana and also deliver an address to the Indian community and the Indian Diaspora in Guyana.