Guyana natural partner for India's energy security: PM Modi

Georgetown: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that Guyana would be a natural partner for energy security as the two countries signed 10 pacts for cooperation in several areas, from health and agriculture to defence, education, and digital payments.

Speaking after the signing of the memorandum of understating (MoU) on Wednesday, he nostalgically recalled his visit to Guyana 24 years ago as a private citizen when he was struck by the cultural ties with India.

He said that he felt blessed to return as the Prime Minister when both countries were deepening their relations beyond culture to other areas.

One of the MoUs signed was on "Cooperation in the Hydrocarbons Sector" covering crude sourcing, natural gas, and infrastructure development fostering capacity building and expertise sharing across the sector.

Guyana is emerging as a petroleum and gas powerhouse with reserves estimated at more than 11 billion oil-equivalent barrels.

Before the signing of MoUs, PM Modi and Guyana's Mohamed Irfaan Ali held discussions with their officials present.

PM Modi said that at their meeting they found areas of convergence and collaboration and India will continue to assist the host country and give priority to the areas they have identified for working together.

While India looks to Guyana as an energy security partner, New Delhi will in turn help develop its food security through the agricultural programmes, he added.

Ali said he felt "very grateful and humbled" to receive PM Modi in Guyana, calling the visit "a significant milestone".

"Our discussions today were not only fruitful but also reinforced our shared commitment to strengthening bilateral relations and to collaboratively address regional and global concerns," he added.

"We signed several key agreements in critical areas, such as hydrocarbon, health, agriculture, and technology transfer," and discussed enhancing collaboration on infrastructure, education, human capital, and development.

Another area was "the continued diversification of our economy, important to our economy".

He added that they also discussed working together on defence and technology transfer.

Earlier, Ali welcomed PM Modi to the State House with a guard of honour and after the ceremony they planted trees, taking the "Ek Ped Ma Ke Naam" (a tree in mother's name) global.

Bilateral Cooperation in the field of Agriculture and Allied Sectors will promote cooperation in the fields of agriculture and allied sectors through joint activities, and the exchange of scientific materials, information and personnel.

An important MoU was in the pharmaceutical sector, recognising the Indian Pharmacopoeia between the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission as the standard for Guyana while cooperating on the regulation of medicines.

Another MoU between HLL Lifecare Ltd and the Guyana Ministry of Health is to extend the benefits of the Janaushadhi Scheme (PMBJP) -- which provides affordable medicines for patients in India -- by supplying medicines to Public Procurement Agencies of CARICOM countries.

The MoU covering Agriculture and Allied Sectors will promote cooperation in the fields through joint activities, and the exchange of scientific materials, information, and personnel.

An MoU involving NPCI International Payments Ltd is for developing a system like India's Unified Payments Interface for digital payments in Guyana. It has the potential to enable the RuPay system link in Guyana.

In the strategic security area, the National Defence Institute of Guyana and the Rashtriya Raksha University in Gujarat signed an MoU for collaborating on research, education, and training in national security and defence.

The MoU on Cultural Exchange Programme aims to strengthen cultural cooperation in theatre, music, fine arts, literature, libraries, and museums.