Port of Spain [Trinidad and Tobago], July 3 : As Prime Minister Narendra Modi emplanes on his visit to the Caribbean nation, High Commissioner of India to Trinidad and Tobago, Pradeep Singh Rajpurohit, highlighted that there is "intense desire" in Trinidad and Tobago among the people and the government for a greater engagement and collaboration with India.
"There is a lot of enthusiasm and excitement among the people...Everyone is looking forward to this visit...There is already an intense desire in Trinidad and Tobago for greater engagement and collaboration in a range of areas, and in this context, people and the government both are highly desirous of getting into a longstanding partnership, a broad-based partnership between India and Trinidad and Tobago..." High Commissioner Rajpurohit told ANI.
He also emphasised the deep-rooted connection between the two nations. "There is a sizable population, about half of the population of this country of Indian origin...They have been here for the last 180 years. Many of them are in their 5th and 6th generation," he said.
The envoy emphasised the efforts of the diaspora in preserving Indian heritage over the decades.
"There is great excitement among the diaspora. They very regularly follow developments taking place in India," he stated, underlining the sense of emotional and cultural connectivity that continues to thrive across generations," he added.
The High Commissioner highlighted the enthusiasm and excitement among the people for Prime Minister Modi's visit to the Caribbean nation, saying, "Everyone is looking forward to this visit...There is already an intense desire in Trinidad and Tobago for greater engagement and collaboration in a range of areas, and in this context, people and the government both are highly desirous of getting into a longstanding partnership, a broad-based partnership between India and Trinidad and Tobago."
Speaking ahead of the visit, the High Commissioner of India stated that the discussions would continue on the foundation laid during Prime Minister Modi's visit to Guyana last year for the Second India-CARICOM Summit.
"Prime Minister Modi had visited Guyana last year for the Second India-CARICOM Summit, and a number of areas were discussed, and our Prime Minister made several announcements. Many of those areas, including agriculture, information technology, health and pharmaceuticals, renewable energy...These are the areas likely to be discussed between the two sides, and we expect some tangible outcomes out of the Prime Minister's visit..." he said.
The High Commissioner also emphasised the significance of the visit in the context of Trinidad and Tobago's new government.
"The Government of Trinidad and Tobago is a new government; several ministers in the cabinet are of Indian origin. There is great enthusiasm among them that they bring in all the benefits of India's growth journey," he said.
"They are the first country in the Caribbean region in the CARICOM region to adopt India's flagship UPI platform, and they are in the process of its implementation," he added.
PM Modi's visit to the island nation is part of his five-nation tour, which spans from July 2 to July 9 and includes a stop in Trinidad and Tobago from July 3 to July 4.
The Prime Minister's visit to Trinidad and Tobago will be his first visit to the country as Prime Minister and the first bilateral visit at the Prime Ministerial level since 1999, marking a significant moment in bilateral relations.
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