PM Modi holds bilateral talks with Trinidadian & Tobago counterpart Bissessar, signs landmark agreements

Port of Spain, July 5 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Friday, met with his Trinidad & Tobago counterpart Kamla Persad-Bissessar at the iconic Red House in the Port of Spain and signed agreements leveraging the friendly ties between India and the Carribean island nation, boost economic partnership, and focus on sectors such as disaster management, climate change and defence, technology, healthcare and agricultural research.

He congratulated Prime Minister Bissessar on taking over office the second time after her victory in the recent elections, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a press statement.

PM Modi also thanked her for an exceptional welcome.

"Thank you Trinidad & Tobago. The moments here will never be forgotten. We've added new momentum to India-Trinidad & Tobago friendship. My gratitude to President Christine Carla Kangaloo, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, the Government and people of this wonderful nation," he said in a post on X.

"The talks with Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar covered the full range of India-Trinidad & Tobago friendship. We agreed that it is important to add further momentum to our economic partnership and focus on sectors such as disaster management, climate change and defence," PM Modi said in a post on X.

"PM @narendramodi held wide-ranging talks with PM Kamla Persad-Bissessar of Trinidad & Tobago, covering the full spectrum of bilateral relations. Both leaders agreed to deepen economic ties and enhance cooperation in areas such as disaster management, climate change, defence, technology, healthcare and agricultural research. They also discussed boosting people-to-people ties," the Prime Minister's Office said in a post on X.

The two leaders held discussions on wide-range of areas of potential collaboration including agriculture, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, digital transformation, UPI, capacity building, culture, sports and people-to-people ties, the MEA statement added.

"Exploring new horizons of collaboration with an important CARICOM partner. PM @narendramodi held wide-ranging and productive discussions with PM Kamla Persad-Bissessar of Trinidad and Tobago today. Both leaders explored avenues to collaborate in a range of sectors including disaster management, climate change, defence, technology, healthcare and agricultural research. They also reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen global fight against terrorism. PM reiterated India's commitment to India-CARICOM ties and to furthering the voice of the Global South," MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X.

"Building green & sustainable India-Trinidad & Tobago partnership. PM @narendramodi and PM Kamla Persad- Bissessar jointly planted a Neem sapling in the Parliament premises of Trinidad and Tobago, under the #EkPedMaaKeNaam initiative of India," MEA Spokesperson Jaiswal said in another X post.

Development cooperation is an important pillar of India-Trinidad & Tobago partnership, the MEA statement said.

Prime Minister Bissesar noted that Prime Minister Modi's landmark visit to Trinidad & Tobago will reinvigorate the deep-rooted bilateral ties between the two countries.

Both leaders also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest, the MEA statement noted.

They called upon greater cooperation to deal with contemporary challenges such as climate change, disaster management, and cyber security.

Prime Minister Modi expressed appreciation for Trinidad & Tobago's strong support and solidarity extended to the people of India in the wake of Pahalgam terror attack.

The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to fight terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

They agreed to work together for greater solidarity among the countries of the Global South and to strengthen India-CARICOM partnership, the MEA statement said.

Following the talks, six MOUs in the fields of pharmacopoeia, Quick Impact Projects, culture, sports, diplomatic training and Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) chairs for Hindi and Indian studies were exchanged at the University of West Indies in Trinidad and Tobago.

Several announcements to foster bilateral ties, including the offer of Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) card to the sixth generation of the people of Indian origin in Trinidad & Tobago were made. Earlier, this facility was available upto fourth generation of Indian diaspora members in the Carribean island nation.

Other announcements made by PM Modi included: 2,000 laptops gifted to school students in Trinidad & Tobago; formal handing over of agro-processing machinery costing nearly $1 million to National Agricultural Marketing and Development Corporation (NAMDEVCO); holding of artificial limb fitment camp (poster-launch) in Trinidad & Tobago for 50 days for 800 people; under the 'Heal in India' programme, specialised medical treatment will be offered in India; 20 Hemodialysis units and two sea ambulances were gifted to Trinidad & Tobago to assist in the provision of healthcare; solarisation of the headquarters of Trinidad & Tobago's Ministry of Foreign and Caricom Affairs by providing rooftop photovoltaic solar panels; celebration of Geeta Mahotsav at Mahatma Gandhi Institute for Cultural Cooperation in Port of Spain, coinciding with the Geeta Mahotsav celebrations in India; and training of Pandits of Trinidad & Tobago and the Caribbean region in India.

Other agreements between the two countries included that Trinidad & Tobago is joining India's global initiatives: the Coalition of Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) and Global Biofuel Alliance (GBA).

PM Modi invited Prime Minister Bissessar to pay a visit to India, which she accepted.

The landmark visit of Prime Minister Modi to Trinidad & Tobago has given a boost to the special ties between the countries.