Vice President Of Guyana Arrives In New Delhi On His First Visit
Vice President and Foreign minister of the Republic of Guyana Carl B Greenidge has arrived in India for his first state visit today. Greenidge is on a five-day visit along with a high-level delegation which includes Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman. During the State visit, which is scheduled for January 29 to February 2, they will be attending the Guyana-India Joint Commission and the Inter-Ministerial Consultations.
During the visit, he is set to meet with EAM (External Affairs Minister) Sushma Swaraj, and Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan.
During the visit, Greenidge will also visit Taj Mahal. This visit is touted to set a policy framework for medium to long-term cooperation between the two countries. This is the first time the two countries are going to have discussions on matters of bilateral co-operation in a one on one sit down format, rather than meeting on the sidelines of some other event.
“The visit is a very important moment for recalibration of relations between India and Guyana. I am hoping that by having it hosted in India where there is so much change going on. It will provide a good background for estimation of relations between the two countries,” said David Goldwin, High Commissioner of Guyana to India to BW Businessworld.
As per reports in The Guyana Times,Greenidge is also expected to sign and ratify the Framework Agreement on the establishment of the International Solar Alliance. This is a platform in which sun-rich countries collectively address common challenges related to the use of solar energy.
This is expected to serve to advance Guyana’s efforts to establish a “Green Economy”, including through its renewable energy sector. It is also being looked at as a way of enhancing and strengthening the bond between the two countries.
Also touted for signature is a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the cultural exchange programme between India and Guyana.
Previously India and Guyana have already collaborated in areas such as infrastructure, energy, information and communications technology (ICT) and agriculture. In 2016, the two States had signed an MoU, which had allowed for the creation of a Centre of Excellence in Information Technology.
Of late, Indian companies have shown increased interest in mining and forestry. A number of Indian companies have acquired agricultural land for cultivation of maize, pulses, vegetables and fruits etc. Some have invested in the field of education and health services.
As per the data from MEA (Ministry Of External Affairs) Bilateral trade between India and Guyana was US$ 34.71 m for 2014-15 (compared to US$ 31.47m for 2013-14) .
