Jaishankar in Guyana as outreach to Caribbean continues

After this, EAM Jaishankar is expected to travel to Panama, Colombia and the Dominican Republic. This will be his first visit to these countries as India’s Foreign Minister, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. .

The India-CARICOM Joint Commission meetings saw the Foreign Minister interact with some key regional diplomats from Suriname, the Bahamas, St. Kitts and Nevis, Grenada, Barbados and Jamaica among others. He also met with CARICOM’s Secretary-General Carla Natalie Barnett and discussed New Delhi’s partnership with the organisation.

Minister Jaishankar will now move on to some crucial bilateral conversations with Guyana, a South American country with which India is looking to bolster energy security ties.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, “he will be co-chairing the Joint Commission Meeting with his counterpart, H.E. Mr. Hugh Hilton Todd that will entail discussions on the whole gamut of issues between the two countries. EAM’s visit to Guyana would also be an opportunity for a meeting of Foreign Ministers in the India-COFCOR (Council on Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR); a group of 15-member Caribbean Community (CARICOM)) format and hold bilateral meetings with participating Ministers.”

India’s top diplomat is accompanied by a Confederation of Indian Industry-led business delegation, which will encourage some wider conversations around business and economic opportunities in the region for Indian firms.

“EAM’s visit to these four countries; his bilateral engagements as well as interactions with counterparts of important regional groups: CARICOM and SICA, adds to the momentum of the India-LAC engagements. It will provide an opportunity to continue high level contacts with countries in Latin America and the Caribbean and explore new areas of cooperation in a whole host of areas; particularly in the post pandemic scenario,” said the MEA in a press release.