India's prime minister meets with Caribbean leaders in Guyana with security in mind

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Guyana on Wednesday, marking the first visit by an Indian leader in more than 50 years to the South American country with diaspora ties.

Guyana serves as headquarters for the 15-member Caribbean trade bloc known as Caricom, and Modi was expected to meet with regional leaders Wednesday as part of the India-Caricom summit. They last met in 2019.

He arrived with promises to help the region in areas including health, energy and agriculture.

But Modi also was thinking of home. Noting Guyana’s growing importance as an oil-producing nation after vast quantities of oil and gas were discovered off its coast in 2015, he said: “Guyana will play an important role in India’s energy security.”

Speaking after meeting with Guyanese President Irfaan Ali, Modi promised to help Guyana and the region improve agriculture production, saying food security is important to island nations.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives to Government House for a meeting with Guyana’s President Mohammed Irfaan Ali, in Georgetown, Guyana, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

Trade between India and Guyana has strengthened in recent years, with India providing Guyana lines of credit for military passenger planes and funding to buy a fast river ferry that services far-flung jungle areas close to neighboring Venezuela.

Modi also noted that indentured laborers from India were brought to Guyana during the British colonial era and now make a significant contribution to the country. Nearly 40% of the population is East Indian.

Modi’s visit marks the first time an Indian prime minister has come to Guyana since Indira Ghandi in 1968.