PM Modi arrives to grand reception in Trinidad & Tobago; welcomed by PM Kamla Persad-Bissessar

Port of Spain, July 4 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived here on Thursday where his Trinidad and Tobago counterpart Kamla Persad-Bissessar, dressed in Indian attire, welcomed him at Piarco International Airport.

PM Modi was accorded a ceremonial welcome and Guard of Honour upon his arrival at the airport and 38 Ministers as well as four Members of Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago were present to welcome him.

"Landed in Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago. I thank Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, distinguished members of the Cabinet and MPs for the gesture of welcoming me at the airport. This visit will further cement bilateral ties between our nations. Looking forward to addressing a community programme in a few hours from now," PM Modi said in a post on social media platform X.

"PM @narendramodi has arrived in the capital city of Port of Spain in Trinidad & Tobago, to a warm ceremonial welcome & Guard of Honour. In a special gesture, PM was received by PM @MPKamla and members of her Cabinet & several other dignitaries @mfcagovtt at the airport," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X.

"PM @narendramodi arrived in Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago. In a special gesture, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, along with distinguished Cabinet members and MPs, received him at the airport," Prime Minister's Office said in a post on X.

He also met the people of the Indian diaspora waiting for him at the airport.

This is the second leg of PM Modi's five-nation tour, following the successful completion of his visit to Ghana.

During this official visit, PM Modi will hold talks with the top leadership of Trinidad and Tobago to further strengthen the bilateral relationship.

This is his first visit to the Carribean nation as the Prime Minister and the first Indian bilateral visit at the prime ministerial level to Trinidad and Tobago since 1999.

During the visit, Prime Minister Modi will hold talks with President Christine Carla Kangaloo and Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and discuss further strengthening of the bilateral relationship.

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Parliament of Ghana and dedicated the prestigious "Officer of the Order of the Star of Ghana" conferred on him to the enduring friendship and shared values between the two countries.

"Leaving for Trinidad & Tobago. Later this evening, I look forward to attending a community programme in Port of Spain. Tomorrow, will be addressing the Parliament of Trinidad & Tobago. Looking forward to deepening ties with a valued partner in the Caribbean, with whom we share very old cultural linkages," PM Modi posted earlier on X after the conclusion of his two-day visit to Ghana.

Trinidad & Tobago will be the second stop on the Prime Minister's ongoing five-nation visit and will be followed by visits to Argentina, Brazil and Namibia.

Like Ghana, PM Modi will also address a Joint Session of the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago on Friday.

The visit of Prime Minister Modi to the Caribbean nation will impart fresh impetus to the deep-rooted, historical, cultural and people-to-people connect between the two nations.

President Kangaloo was the Chief Guest at this year's Pravasi Bhartiya Divas and Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar, who has recently assumed office for the second term, has also visited India in the past and been felicitated with the Pravasi Bhartiya Samman award.

Indians first arrived in Trinidad and Tobago 180 years ago and PM Modi's visit is expected to provide an opportunity to rejuvenate the special bonds of ancestry and kinship that unite both countries.

Interestingly, this is the second visit of Prime Minister Modi to the Caribbean region in a span of eight months -- he had previously visited Guyana in November 2024 -- and shows the immense importance that India accords to the Caribbean countries and reflects India's growing partnership with CARICOM.

Last November, while addressing the second India-CARICOM Summit in Georgetown, Prime Minister Modi had underscored that India stands firmly for giving voice to the concerns of the Global South. Noting that the Global South countries were the most impacted by the challenges and conflicts of recent years, he had also reaffirmed India's steadfast commitment to Caribbean countries as a reliable partner.

It was on the sidelines of the Summit in Guyana that PM Modi also met with the then Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Keith Rowley and congratulated him for adoption of India's flagship UPI Platform by the Caribbean nation while assuring further collaboration in the field of digital transformation.

Both the countries are seeking to expand and diversify their cooperation into major emerging areas like pharmaceuticals, tertiary care, renewable energy, digital public infrastructure, agriculture, disaster resistance and innovation and technology, along with sports, academic and cultural cooperation.

"The visit comes at an opportune time, as this year, 2025, the country (Trinidad and Tobago) is commemorating 180 years of the arrival of Indian immigrants in Trinidad and Tobago," said MEA Secretary (South) Neena Malhotra during a special media briefing on Monday, ahead of PM's five-nation visit.

Bilateral relations between both nations are supported by a vibrant Indian diaspora. Out of the total 1.36 million population of Trinidad and Tobago, the Indian diaspora constitutes nearly 40–45 per cent of Trinidad and Tobago's population. The diaspora, descendants of immigrants who arrived starting 1845, continues to maintain strong cultural and emotional bonds with India.

PM Modi's address to the joint session of the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago is also being seen as symbolic of India's traditions and democratic values, reaffirming New Delhi's deep rooted and enduring ties with the Caribbean.

"The Speaker's chair in the Parliament has been a gift by India, which is again a symbolic reminder of the strong democratic and parliamentary traditions between our two countries," said Secretary Malhotra.

This visit, she added, is also very special for both the President and the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago since they are both of Indian origin, and hold pride in calling themselves as "daughters of India".

"The entire Indian community in Trinidad and Tobago is very enthusiastic about PM Modi's upcoming visit and a large diaspora interaction event is being planned during the visit. During the visit, the PM will hold high-level discussions with both the President and Prime Minister, and the leaders are expected to cover the entire gamut of our bilateral relations, as well as regional and multilateral aspects," the MEA Secretary mentioned.

--IANS

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