PM Modi meets Caribbean leaders; Guyana, Dominica confer top awards on PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has met with the top leaders of Caribbean nations on the margins of the India-CARICOM Summit here and discussed strengthening bilateral ties and enhancing cooperation across several key areas.

The prime minister arrived in Guyana earlier in the day -- the first visit by an Indian head of the state to the country in more than 50 years.

He met leaders of the Caribbean partner countries on Wednesday at the sidelines of the second India-Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Summit.

"Had an excellent meeting with Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, President of Guyana. The President himself enjoys a strong bond with India," Modi said in a post on X.

The two leaders reviewed the bilateral developmental cooperation, including in sectors like skill development, capacity building, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, education and energy.

"India will always be a trusted partner for Guyana in sectors like infrastructure, shipping, technology and more," he said, calling the Caribbean nation's support for initiatives like the International Solar Alliance, Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure and Global Biofuels Alliance "noteworthy".

He also met Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley.

"During the meeting, Prime Minister of Barbados announced the decision of her government to confer on the Prime Minister the Honorary Order of Freedom of Barbados Award, recognising his leadership in assisting during the Covid-19 pandemic and commitment to India-Barbados ties," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a post on X. The award will be bestowed on November 30 in Barbados, it said.

"This high-level engagement provided an opportunity for both leaders to reaffirm and strengthen the India-Barbados relationship while reviewing ongoing cooperation across several key areas, including health & pharma and collaboration at the United Nations," it added.

Prime Minister Modi also met his Bahamas counterpart Philip Davis and had a "fruitful" discussion focused on strengthening economic ties, climate change action and green partnerships.

"The leaders also exchanged views on the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign," the MEA said in an X post.

On the sidelines of the India-CARICOM Summit, Modi also met Prime Minister Keith Rowley of Trinidad and Tobago.

He congratulated Dr Rowley for adopting India's flagship UPI platform. "The leaders discussed ways to strengthen - relations in areas of digital transformation, health, defence and maritime security, transportation and cultural exchanges," the MEA said in a separate post.

The two leaders also witnessed the exchange of an MoU on setting up Integrated Automatic Fruit and Vegetable Primary Processing Activities in Trinidad and Tobago.

Modi also met the President of Suriname Chan Santokhi and the two leaders reviewed progress on the bilateral partnership and emphasised the importance of strengthening economic cooperation.

"They agreed to expand bilateral cooperation in areas including defence and security, trade & commerce, agriculture, digital initiatives including UPI, ICT, healthcare, traditional medicine and pharmaceuticals, capacity building, human resource development, cultural and people-to-people engagements," the MEA said.

The Prime Minister also met Roosevelt Skerrit, his Dominica counterpart, whom he thanked for the conferment of the country's highest award.

Dominica conferred its top award on Modi for his contributions to the Caribbean nation during the COVID-19 pandemic and his dedication to enhancing the bilateral partnership.

"The leaders explored opportunities for - cooperation in areas such as climate resilience, healthcare, capacity building and deepening of people-to-people ties. They also discussed cooperation at the United Nations," the MEA said.

Modi also held a meeting with the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne.

"PM congratulated PM Browne for successfully hosting the 4th SIDS conference. PM Browne appreciated the seven pillar CARICOM plan put forth by PM at the Summit. The leaders exchanged views on issues of trade & investment, capacity building for SIDS, and climate change action. PM Browne announced support for India’s permanent membership of the UN Security Council," the ministry said in a post on X.

The Prime Minister also met St Lucia Prime Minister Philip J Pierre on the margins of the Summit.

"Both sides exchanged views on cooperation in the fields of capacity building, education, health, cricket, and yoga and stressed the need to further reinforce India-St Lucia bilateral relations," the MEA said.

During the India-CARICOM Summit, the prime minister proposed seven key pillars to strengthen ties between India and the Caribbean Community, asserting that New Delhi is committed to taking these relations to new heights.

Guyana and Dominica have conferred their top awards on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his contributions during the COVID-19 pandemic and his exceptional contributions to the global community and efforts in strengthening bilateral ties with the two Caribbean nations.

The prime minister, who is in Guyana on the last leg of his three-nation visit, was conferred ‘The Order of Excellence’ by Guyanese President Irfaan Ali on Wednesday.

"Sincerely thank President Dr Irfaan Ali, for conferring upon me Guyana's highest honour, 'The Order of Excellence.' This is a recognition of the 140 crore people of India," he said in a post on X.

"This is living proof of your deep commitment towards our relations which will continue to inspire us to move forward in every field," he said while accepting the award.

Modi dedicated the honour to the people of India and the deep-rooted historical ties between the people of the two countries, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a press release.

He also emphasised that his State visit is a testament to India's continued commitment towards deepening India-Guyana friendship.

"Another feather in the cap for India! President @DrMohamedIrfaa1 @presidentaligy of Guyana conferred PM @narendramodi with the highest national award of Guyana ‘The Order of Excellence’, for his exceptional service to the global community, statesmanship and contribution in deepening India-Guyana ties," the MEA said in a post on X.

Modi is the fourth foreign leader to be conferred with the highest National award of Guyana, according to the ministry.

Before this, the prime minister was conferred the "Dominica Award of Honour" by President Sylvanie Burton of Dominica on the sidelines of the India-CARICOM Summit here.

"Honoured to be conferred with highest national award by Dominica. I dedicate it to the 140 crore people of India," Modi said in a post on X.

"This honour is dedicated to my sisters and brothers of India. It is also indicative of the unbreakable bond between our nations," he said in a separate post.

"The award is a recognition of PM’s statesmanship and contribution to Dominica during the COVID-19 pandemic and his commitment to strengthening India-Dominica ties," the MEA said in a post.

Replying to an X post by Dominica's Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, Modi said, "Your kind words have touched me, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit. With deep humility and gratitude, I accept the ‘Dominica Award of Honour'."

"You spoke about the support during COVID-19. It fills my heart with joy to see how our solidarity during COVID-19 strengthened bonds across borders and continents. We will keep working closely with Dominica in the times to come," he added.

"In 2021, during the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, your generous provision of 70,000 AstraZeneca vaccines became a lifeline for Dominica," Prime Minister Skerrit said in his post on X.

He said the accolade was more than a symbol: "It is a tribute to your enduring legacy of leadership, your commitment to humanity, and the indelible mark you have left on nations, including ours, far beyond your shores."

Skerrit asserted that it "transcended a donation; it was a powerful reminder that true leadership knows no borders". "This singular act of solidarity echoed the essence of global partnership and South-South collaboration," he said.

"This honour also reflects the shared values that unite Dominica and India — our unwavering dedication to democracy, resilience in the face of adversity, and belief in the power of unity. Today, we recognise that your inspiration extends far beyond the oceans that separate us. Like Dominica, the world owes you a debt of gratitude for your tireless efforts to uplift humanity," he said.

Barbados will also confer its top award on Prime Minister Modi, bringing his tally of international honours to 19.

Dominica announced its top award to Modi a few days ago.

According to a statement released by Skerrit's office on the award's announcement, it also recognises India's support for Dominica in healthcare, education and information technology under Modi's leadership and his role in promoting climate resilience-building initiatives and sustainable development on a global level.

The statement quoted Prime Minister Skerrit as saying that the award is an expression of Dominica's gratitude for Modi's solidarity with Dominica and the wider region.

In accepting the offer of the award, Prime Minister Modi emphasised the importance of collaboration in tackling global challenges such as climate change and geopolitical conflicts and affirmed India's commitment to working alongside Dominica and the Caribbean in addressing these issues, the statement underlined.