Indian minister visits to deepen ties with Trinidad and Tobago

INDIAN Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita visited Trinidad and Tobago on August 23 to deepen ties between the two countries and their people.

This was the first ministerial-level visit to Trinidad and Tobago since April 2017, the Indian High Commission said in a news release on August 24.

During the visit, Margherita paid a courtesy call on the Prime Minister at the Diplomatic Centre in St Ann's.

The release said he was also accorded a warm welcome at the Ministry of Foreign and Caricom Affairs, with a flag-raising ceremony.

At the ministry Margherita held talks with Minister of Foreign and Caricom Affairs Dr Amery Browne, "on areas of mutual interest, including collaboration in digital transformation, health, agriculture, sports, cultural exchanges, etc."

They discussed regional and global issues and signed an agreement for the authorisation of employment of dependents of members of a diplomatic mission or consular post in India and Trinidad and Tobago.

On August 24, Margherita also visited the Parliament at the Red House in Port of Spain.

He also paid a courtesy call on President of the Senate Nigel de Freitas and Speaker of the House Bridgid Annisette-George.

The Speaker of the House’s Chair was gifted to Trinidad and Tobago by India in 1968.

During the visit gifts were exchanged including a painting of the Red House.

Margherita and Port of Spain Mayor Chinua Alleyne laid flowers at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in the city.

A function was held at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute for Cultural Co-operation (MGICC), Mt Hope, where Margherita met members of the Indian diaspora in Trinidad and Tobago.

He also inaugurated an exhibition on "Ramleela Traditions in the Caribbean Region" at the MGICC.

The release said, the visit added a new impetus to the deep-rooted relations between India and Trinidad and Tobago. Reaffirming continued commitment of both countries to strengthening their bilateral partnership and further deepen their people-to-people ties.

Businessman Sieunarine Coosal who attended the function at MGICC brought greetings on behalf of the Indian diaspora in Trinidad and Tobago.

He said, "The Indo-Caribbean diaspora is relatively large, highly educated and successful. But outside of cultural co-operation there is enormous scope for closer strategic and economic ties between India and the Indo-Caribbean diaspora."

The executive chairman of the Coosal Group of Companies called on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to "initiate a programme of state visits to usher in a new era of bilateral relations."

He called for more co-operation in the sphere of agriculture, farming and food processing and the creation of an Indian Caribbean business council to promote bilateral trade.