India-CARICOM Summit: Strengthening Ties and Cooperation

The second India-Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Summit is scheduled to take place in Guyana on Wednesday, with at least 14 CARICOM leaders expected to attend. The summit will be co-chaired by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is arriving in Guyana from Brazil after attending the G20 Summit.

Key Speakers and Agenda

CARICOM Chairman and Prime Minister of Grenada, Dickon Mitchell, will also be speaking at the conference, along with the host country’s President Dr. Irfaan Ali and CARICOM Secretary General Dr. Carla Barnett. This one-day summit highlights the strengthening of ties between India and the Caribbean nations.

Historic Summit

While CARICOM has not publicly indicated who is the regional leader not expected to be present physically, the CARICOM Secretariat described the summit as “historic” saying it will be the “first stand-alone Meeting between the Heads of Government of the two sides to be convened in a CARICOM member state.”

Areas of Cooperation

The engagement is expected to strengthen an already strong relationship in areas such as economic cooperation, agriculture and food security, health and pharmaceuticals, and science and innovations.

Previous Meetings and Ties

CARICOM leaders and India’s Prime Minister last met in 2019 in the margins of the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) where they discussed cooperation modalities in renewable energy and climate change through a US$150 million credit line from India.

Goals and Objectives

“India is an important global actor. Our Member States are keen to meet Prime Minister Modi and develop deeper technical relationships, deepen the relationship in terms of advocacy for small states in the international arena, and strengthen people-to-people ties,” said the CARICOM Assistant Secretary-General for Foreign and Community Relations, Elizabeth Solomon.

Joint Commission and Multilateral Cooperation

The first meeting of the CARICOM-India Joint Commission, which was convened in June 2015, identified areas of cooperation in agribusiness development, food security, health, small business development, marine development, fisheries, and disaster management. CARICOM and India have maintained ties through the Joint Commission, political interactions at the heads and ministerial levels, as well as multilaterally in the context of the United Nations, the Commonwealth, the Group of 77, and the Non-Aligned Movement.

Conclusion

The India-CARICOM Summit is a significant event that highlights the strengthening of ties between India and the Caribbean nations. The summit is expected to strengthen cooperation in various areas, including economic cooperation, agriculture and food security, health and pharmaceuticals, and science and innovations.

FAQs

* Who is expected to attend the summit?
+ At least 14 CARICOM leaders are expected to attend the summit.
* Who will be co-chairing the summit?
+ India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be co-chairing the summit.
* What are the areas of cooperation expected to be discussed during the summit?
+ Economic cooperation, agriculture and food security, health and pharmaceuticals, and science and innovations are expected to be discussed during the summit.