India on Wednesday extended a grant of $150 million as Line of Credit to the member states of the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) for climate conservation projects. "Now we have a range of Caribbean communities to call as friends of India. So we (BJP) look at it (PM Modi’s friendly gestures) sailing in the right direction,” BJP's chief spokesperson Krishna Saagar Rao said.
New York: To expand the growth of India in America and in the Caribbean nations, PM Modi has made the best move with a clear vision, ahead of the contemporary geo-political situation, said BJP's chief spokesperson Krishna Saagar Rao.
Speaking exclusively to MyNation Rao hailed PM Modi's decision at the India-CARICOM Leaders' meeting in New York. He said, "For us (Indians) to grow into a superpower, we need to have inclusive development not only within the nation. We also need to look around and help those who are in need, especially our neighbouring countries."
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Rao further said that the United Nations being "uni-polar in power", still does not have much of respect, around the neighbourhood of both north and south of America. He also said that, with the exception of Pakistan, all neighbours of the country still respect India and look up to the nation as their elder brother.
“Now we have a range of Caribbean communities to call as friends of India. So we (BJP) look at it (PM Modi’s friendly gestures) sailing in the right direction,” the chief spokesperson added.
India on Wednesday extended a grant of $150 million as Line of Credit to the member states of the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) for climate conservation projects.
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Chairing the India-CARICOM Leaders' meeting in New York, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also announced $14 million grant for community development projects to the Caribbean nations.
Leaders of 14 CARICOM countries participated in the meeting that took place on the sidelines of the annual session of the United Nations General Assembly. Prime Minister of St Lucia and current chairman of CARICOM, Allen Chastenet, co-chaired the meeting with the Indian Prime Minister.
The meeting deliberated on strengthening the political and institutional dialogue processes, boosting economic cooperation, increasing trade and investment and fostering higher and more robust people-to-people relations between India and the CARICOM countries.
Modi also emphasised on partnering with CARICOM countries in capacity building, development assistance and cooperation in disaster management and resilience.
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It was the first-ever meeting of the Indian Prime Minister with the CARICOM leaders in a regional format and where he highlighted the steadily intensifying and deepening relations between India and partner countries of the Caribbean, not only in the bilateral but also in the regional context.
Modi reiterated India's firm commitment to strengthen its political, economic and cultural engagement with CARICOM. He recalled the presence of more than a million-strong Indian diaspora as a vibrant and enduring link of friendship with the Caribbean.
Also, PM Modi expressed his condolences on the massive destruction caused by Hurricane Dorian in the region and the worst-hit island of the Bahamas. India had also provided immediate financial assistance of one million US dollars.
PM Modi, while concluding his meet with the CARICOM, invited a Parliamentary delegation from CARICOM to visit India shortly. Meanwhile, the CARICOM leaders, on their part, welcomed India's initiatives to strengthen engagement and cooperation between the two sides and reassured full support from their respective governments.
The meeting was attended by the Heads of Governments of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Vice President of Suriname, and Foreign Ministers of Bahamas, Belize, Grenada, Haiti and Guyana.
(With inputs from agencies)
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