CARICOM, India shares deep-rooted partnership – CARICOM Secretary-General

Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Carla Barnett has emphasised that CARICOM and India have a long history and deep-rooted partnership through diplomatic ties forged at the bilateral level and further strengthened over three decades.   

This enduring alliance has been characterised by numerous high-level political exchanges, such as the inaugural CARICOM-India Summit in 2019 and a robust framework of technical cooperation.

She made the remarks during the second CARICOM-India Summit held at the Marriott Hotel Kingston, Georgetown on Wednesday.

The summit was co-chaired by the Prime Minister of India, the Honourable Shri Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of Grenada Dickon Mitchell, and President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali. 

She further noted that India’s strong partnership with the region has led to substantial contributions in critical areas like healthcare, human resource development, renewable energy, the blue economy, and information and communications technology (ICT). 

“As our countries continue to navigate the complexities of sustainable development, south-south partnerships such as ours are imperative to foster innovative solutions. The community therefore commends and thanks India for its strong advocacy on issues that are important to our region. And India’s Presidency of the G20 in 2023 was testament to this commitment with reform of the global financial architecture as a priority,” the Secretary-General underscored.

She indicated that such support for the global arena is essential, especially in cases where small states lack a strong enough voice. 

“As CARICOM and India reaffirm steadfast commitment to a vibrant and active relationship through the outcomes from this second Summit, the Secretariat stands ready to ensure that the collaboration continues to flourish in the years to come,” she highlighted. 

India and CARICOM share fundamental values of democracy, peace and sustainable development.