India, Guyana ink five pacts; resolve to expand ties in diverse areas

Georgetown: India and Guyana on Wednesday agreed to ramp up cooperation in areas of defence, trade, energy, pharmaceutical and agriculture as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Guyanese President Mohamed Irfaan Ali held extensive talks focusing on bolstering the overall relations.

The two sides inked five agreements that will provide for cooperation in a range of sectors such as hydrocarbons, healthcare, culture and agriculture.

In his media statement, Modi said Guyana will play a significant role in India's energy security and that a framework will be created for long-term partnership between the two countries in the sector.

The visit of an Indian Prime Minister to Guyana after 56 years is an important milestone in bilateral relations, he said.

The prime minister arrived last night from the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, where he attended the G20 summit.

"We identified many new initiatives to expand India-Guyana cooperation," Modi said.

The prime minister asserted that both sides would make relentless efforts to boost economic cooperation.

India is an important source for Guyana for pharmaceutical products and we will work on increasing pharma exports to Guyana, he said.

The prime minister also noted that close cooperation between the two countries in the field of defence symbolises "deep mutual trust".

The two leaders also deliberated on regional and global issues.

India and Guyana agree that all problems should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy, Modi said.

"We are unanimous that reform in global institutions is the need of the hour," he added.

On his part, President Ali said Modi's visit to Guyana represents a significant milestone in enhancing cooperation between the two nations.