External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday visited the monument to Indian arrival in Berbice, Guyana. He was accompanied by the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Charles Ramson.
“Visited the evocative monument to Indian arrival in Berbice, Guyana. Shared my admiration of their endeavours and successes with the diaspora. Thank Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Charles Ramson Jr. for joining,” Jaishankar tweeted. According to exploreguyana.org, on May 5 1838, the very year of the final Abolition of Slavery in the British West Indies, a small batch of 396 Indian immigrants popularly known as the ‘Gladstone Coolies’ landed at Highbury, Berbice in British Guiana (Guyana) from Calcutta.
This was the beginning of the indenture system, which was abolished in 1917, by which time a total of some 240,000 indentured servants from India came to Guyana under a system whose essential features were very reminiscent of slavery.
Earlier, on Sunday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar addressed the India-Guyana Business Round Table in Guyana saying that the partnership of both countries holds new possibilities, while also underlining the new focus areas as earlier agreed upon by the two countries.
Taking to Twitter on Sunday, Jaishankar said he underlined the new focus areas as earlier discussed by Guyanese President Irfaan Ali and Prime Minister Narendra Modi including energy, health and pharma, technology and defence.
The External Affairs Minister took part in the India-Guyana Business Round Table in the presence of Guyanese Foreign Minister Hugh Todd, Finance Minister of Guyana, Ashni Singh and Public Works Minister of Guyana, Deodat Indar.
“Addressed the India-Guyana Business Round Table. Appreciate participation of Foreign Minister Hugh Todd, Finance Minister Ashni Singh and Public Works Minister Deodat Indar,” Jaishankar tweeted.
Jaishankar said a delegation from the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) also took part in the Round Table, which is a reflection of India’s growing engagement with Latin America.
CII is a premier business association, which partners with Indian Industry, government and civil society to create and sustain an environment conducive to the development of India.
In a series of tweets after the round table, the EAM said, “Given the impressive growth rate of Guyana and India, our partnership holds many new possibilities. Underlined that the new focus areas agreed to by President Ali and PM @narendramodi -energy, health and pharma, development partnership and capacity building, agriculture, innovation, technology and defence and infrastructure will be the drivers of our ties.”
“My presence here is intended to take forward the momentum created by the visits of President Ali and Vice President Jagdeo recently. Strong economics will complement shared values in taking our partnership to a new level,” Jaishankar tweeted.
Jaishankar arrived in Guyana on Friday. The EAM was received by Guyana’s Foreign Minister Hugh Todd in the Guyanese capital of Georgetown.
Jaishankar is scheduled to visit Panama next from April 24-25. He will be calling on top leadership and would be hosted by Foreign Minister Janaina Tewaney Mencomo.
After that, Jaishankar will head to Colombia from April 25-27 where he is scheduled to meet with several top representatives of the government, business and civil society.
During the visit, he will meet with Colombian Foreign Minister Alvaro Leyva Duran and review bilateral ties.