India And Trinidad & Tobago Chart New Chapter In Ties As PM Modi Meets PM Bissessar

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Friday, held bilateral talks with Trinidad & Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar at the historic Red House in Port of Spain.

The meeting led to the signing of several key agreements aimed at enhancing economic cooperation and expanding engagement across sectors including disaster response, climate resilience, defence, healthcare, technology, and agricultural research.

PM Modi congratulated Prime Minister Bissessar on her re-election and extended his thanks for the warm welcome extended to his delegation, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

Taking to X, PM Modi posted, “Thank you Trinidad & Tobago. The moments here will never be forgotten. We’ve added new momentum to India-Trinidad & Tobago friendship. My gratitude to President Christine Carla Kangaloo, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, the Government and people of this wonderful nation.”

“The talks with Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar covered the full range of India-Trinidad & Tobago friendship. We agreed that it is important to add further momentum to our economic partnership and focus on sectors such as disaster management, climate change and defence,” Prime Minister posted on the social media platform.

Deepening cooperation in technology, healthcare, and people-to-people ties

According to the Prime Minister’s Office, both leaders agreed to deepen cooperation in multiple fields, including technology, healthcare, disaster management, and people-to-people exchanges.

The MEA highlighted that their discussions spanned a wide array of potential collaborations, from agriculture and pharmaceuticals to digital transformation, capacity building, and cultural and sports initiatives.

Taking to X, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal posted, “Exploring new horizons of collaboration with an important CARICOM partner. PM @narendramodi held wide-ranging and productive discussions with PM Kamla Persad-Bissessar of Trinidad and Tobago today. Both leaders explored avenues to collaborate in a range of sectors including disaster management, climate change, defence, technology, healthcare and agricultural research. They also reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen global fight against terrorism. PM reiterated India’s commitment to India- CARICOM ties and to furthering the voice of the Global South.”

The two Prime Ministers symbolically planted a Neem sapling in the Parliament complex, underscoring a commitment to sustainability through India’s #EkPedMaaKeNaam initiative.

Prime Minister Bissessar said that PM Modi’s landmark visit would rejuvenate the bilateral relationship, which is rooted in historical and cultural ties.

The leaders also discussed regional and global developments and agreed to work more closely to address modern challenges, including climate change, disaster preparedness, and cyber threats.

PM Modi thanked the nation for its solidarity following the recent terror attack in Pahalgam and reaffirmed India’s resolve to counter terrorism in all forms.

The meeting concluded with the exchange of six Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) at the University of the West Indies, covering cooperation in fields such as culture, sports, pharmacopoeia, diplomatic training, and academic exchanges in Hindi and Indian studies.

Key initiatives announced by PM Modi

Several new initiatives were also announced by Prime Minister Modi:

Extension of the Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) facility to sixth-generation Indian-origin individuals in Trinidad & Tobago (earlier limited to the fourth generation).

• Donation of 2,000 laptops to school students.
• Handover of agro-processing equipment worth nearly $1 million to NAMDEVCO.
• Launch of an artificial limb fitment camp for 800 people over 50 days.
• Provision of 20 hemodialysis machines and two sea ambulances to bolster healthcare.
• Solar power installation at the Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs headquarters.
• Celebration of ‘Geeta Mahotsav’ at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute for Cultural Cooperation in sync with India’s own celebrations.
• Training of Pandits from the region in India under cultural cooperation programmes.

Trinidad & Tobago also announced its decision to join India’s global platforms, the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) and the Global Biofuel Alliance (GBA), further deepening their multilateral ties.

Prime Minister Modi invited PM Bissessar to visit India, which she accepted, signalling continued high-level exchanges ahead.

This visit, which comes as part of PM Modi’s larger tour of five nations, has significantly elevated India’s partnership with Trinidad & Tobago and reinforced the broader India-Caribbean relationship.

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