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Indian Prime Minister meets Caribbean leaders in Guyana amid security concerns

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Indian Prime Minister meets Caribbean leaders in Guyana amid security concerns

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Guyana 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 trading bloc known as Caricom, and Modi was expected to meet regional leaders on Wednesday as part of the India-Caricom summit. They last met in 2019.

He arrived with promises to help the region in areas such as healthcare, energy and agriculture.

But Modi also thought about home. Noting Guyana’s growing importance as an oil-producing country 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.”

After a meeting with Guyanese President Irfaan Ali, Modi pledged to help Guyana and the region improve agricultural production, saying food security is important for island nations.

Trade between India and Guyana has strengthened in recent years, with India extending lines of credit to Guyana for military passenger aircraft and providing financing for the purchase of a fast river ferry that serves remote jungle areas near neighboring Venezuela.

Modi also noted that indentured laborers from India were brought to Guyana during the British colonial era and are now making significant contributions 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.

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