Trinidad and Tobago will be a priority nation for India.
That’s the assurance from India’s Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, as he made his historic speech to a Joint Session of Parliament on Friday, being the first national of India to address both Chambers.
Prime Minister Modi said priority will always be with the ‘Global South’, including deepening trade with Trinidad and Tobago.
“Trinidad and Tobago will be a priority nation for us. We will encourage our businesses to invest more in this country. Our development partnership will expand. Training capacity, building, and skill development will keep human development at its centre.”
Prime Minister Modi emphasised the link between both countries, some 180 years since the beginning of Indian indentureship.
“Oceans away, the Indian bridge blended beautifully with the Caribbean rhythm. Here, Bhojpuri found harmony with Creole. Dhalpuri met doubles, and tabla met the steelpan.”
He commended the descendants of the indentured labourers for continuing to strive.
“Today, the people of Indian origin are proud bearers of the red, black, and white flag. From politics to poetry, cricket to commerce, calypso to chutney, they contribute to every field.”
Bilateral trade between India and T&T registered a record high of US$369 million in fiscal year 2023/24, and Prime Minister Modi assured that the trend will not only continue but significantly expand.
“We will share our expertise in agriculture, horticulture, and food processing. Machinery from India will support our agro-industry and because development is about dignity, we will organise an artificial limb fitment camp.”
He praised Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar on her second term in office.
“Special greetings to Prime Minister Kamla Ji for forming the government once again and I wish her continued success as she leads this great nation towards sustained growth and prosperity.”
Prime Minister Modi now travels to Argentina, Brazil, and Namibia to close off his five-nation tour.
“From Ayodhya to Arima, from the Ghats of Ganga to the Gulf of Paria, may our bonds grow ever deeper and our dreams ever higher.”
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar praised Prime Minister Modi’s leadership and India’s global rise, noting the significance of his visit and the conferral of Trinidad and Tobago’s highest national award, the Order of Trinidad and Tobago (ORTT).
She expressed gratitude for India’s humanitarian support during the COVID-19 pandemic, in contrast with the actions of other nations.
“I want us to remember that when some countries were hoarding their medical supplies and their vaccines, it was Shri Modi Ji who ensured that even the smallest and most vulnerable countries, including Trinidad and Tobago, received these vaccines as a gift. At that moment in time, India again proved to us that India was a trusted friend and a reliable partner.”
Mrs. Persad-Bissessar said in collaboration with India, there are ambitious plans for economic and technological collaboration, including a Partial Scope Trade Agreement, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and digital modernisation.
“So we want to partner with Indian pharmaceutical leaders to establish local drug manufacturing facilities, biotech parks, telemedicine networks, and so enhance health resilience and create high-quality jobs in Trinidad and Tobago. India has also pledged support for, amongst other initiatives, a Jaipur foot camp, dialysis units, sea ambulances, most vital for our sea bridge – Trinidad and Tobago sea ambulances. These initiatives will directly benefit both Trinidad and Tobago.”
She noted that energy remains essential to both economies and that T&T is in discussions with Indian companies to participate in various energy-related projects in Trinidad and Tobago.
Trinidad and Tobago and India also signed six Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs), including one on Pharmacopoeial Cooperation, an Agreement on Indian Grant Assistance for the implementation of Quick Impact Projects, for Cooperation on Diplomatic Training, Cooperation in Sports, Programme for Cultural Exchanges, and the establishment of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations Chair of Indian and Hindi Studies at the University of the West Indies.