New Delhi: Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness made a historic first bilateral visit to India, and visited PM Narendra Modi on the second day of his visit to solidify bilateral ties in a range of key areas including trade and investment. PM Modi and Holness have met several times on the sidelines of multilateral meetings but this was the first time they held delegation-level talks in New Delhi on Tuesday.
After his talks with PM Modi on Tuesday, Holness expressed his country's desire to strengthen cooperation with India in various sectors, including science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM), education, digitalisation, security, and energy. He also lauded recognisable strides made by India in technological advancement and security. To further solidify cooperation, Holness announced Jamaica's intention to join the Global Biofuels Alliance, pioneered by the Indian government.
PM Modi emphasised that the relations between India and Jamaica are based on four Cs - Culture, Cricket, Commonwealth and CARICOM (Caribbean Community). He said the two leaders discussed strengthening our cooperation across all sectors and identified several new initiatives. "We will move forward in training and capacity building of the Jamaican military in the field of defense. Organised Crime, drug trafficking, terrorism are our common challenges. We agree to face these challenges together. We would be pleased to share our successful experience in the space sector with Jamaica as well," he added.
'India-Jamaica ties will grow faster than Usain Bolt'
Cricket was one of the primary topics of conversation between the two leaders, especially since legendary cricketer Chris Gayle. The Jamaican PM had earlier said, "Chris Gayle is not just an icon in Jamaica; he is also widely known, respected, and adored here in India for his cricketing prowess."
While addressing the presser, PM Modi said India has always been a reliable and committed development partner in Jamaica's journey of development and discussed their efforts to ensure global peace and stability, adding that both countries agreed that it is imperative to reform all global institutions, including the United Nations Security Council. We will continue to work together to modernize these institutions.
"India and Jamaica may be separated by vast oceans, but our minds, our cultures and our histories are deeply intertwined. The people who migrated from India to Jamaica nearly 180 years ago laid the strong foundations of our people-to-people ties. Today, the nearly 70,000 people of Indian origin who call Jamaica home are a living example of our shared heritage. I thank Prime Minister Holness and his Government for taking care of them," he added.
"We also discussed on deepening our cooperation in sports. I am confident that the outcomes from today’s discussions will propel our relationship at a pace faster than "Usain Bolt,” allowing us to continually reach new heights," he concluded his speech with these remarks.
Holness also highlighted Jamaica's interest in India's technology-driven security solutions to enhance national security and border security. "In light of my administration's effort to enhance the safety and security of our citizens with a focus on strengthening the national security infrastructure and enhancing border security, we see India, a global leader in technology-driven security solutions, as a natural ally," he said.
What did PM Modi and Holness discuss?
The Indian PM also referred to the growing popularity of Yoga, Bollywood and folk music from India in Jamaica and that of "Reggae" and "Dancehall" in India. To further boost bilateral ties, India also opened Jamaica's High Commission in New Delhi and named the road in front of it as 'Jamaica Marg'.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, PM Modi and Holness held wide-ranging issues of bilateral issues and identified digitalisation, health and medicine, sports cooperation, defence, education, trade, agriculture, infrastructure, culture, skill development and capacity building as pillars of strengthening bilateral relations. PM Modi also hosted a banquet for the visiting leader.
The two leaders also exchanged agreements on sharing digital public infrastructure, cultural exchange programmes, cooperation in sports and UPI payment systems between NPCI International Payments Limited and Egov Jamaica Limited. Holness also gifted Modi a picture of his 1999 visit to Jamaica, even before he became the Chief Minister of Gujarat.
(with agency input)
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