Port of Spain [Trinidad and Tobago], July 5 (ANI): During his visit to Trinidad and Tobago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a number of key announcements to boost ties between both nations, including the gifting of 2000 laptops to school students and the extension of the Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card facility up to the 6th generation of Indian diaspora members.
Addressing a MEA press briefing, Secretary (South) Neena Malhotra listed the announcements:
“Firstly, extension of OCI Card facility up to the 6th generation of Indian diaspora members in this country. As of now, this facility is available up to the 4th generation… This announcement was very enthusiastically received by the Indian diaspora, which constitutes almost 40 to 45% of the population of this country.”
“In the education sector, we have announced the gifting of 2000 laptops to school students in Trinidad & Tobago. India also announced the holding of an artificial limb fitment camp in Trinidad and Tobago,” she said.
As part of India’s humanitarian campaign, India will organize an artificial limb fitment camp in Trinidad and Tobago for 50 days to benefit 800 people.
There were two more announcements in the healthcare sector. One was the gift of 20 Hemodialysis units and two sea ambulances to Trinidad and Tobago to assist in the provision of health care.
“We have announced specialized medical treatment of 10 dignitaries of Trinidad & Tobago at accredited Indian hospitals for an amount of Rs one crore per annum,” she added.
PM Modi also announced the solarisation of the headquarters of Trinidad & Tobago’s Ministry of Foreign and Caricom Affairs by providing rooftop photovoltaic solar panels.
Enhancing the cultural ties between both nations, PM Modi announced the celebration of Geeta Mahotsav at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute for Cultural Cooperation in Port of Spain, coinciding with the Geeta Mahotsav celebrations in India.
India will also train 10 pundits from Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean region. “At the request of the Trinidad & Tobago Government, we have agreed to the training of 10 pundits of T&T and the Caribbean region in India,” Malhotra said.
Neena Malhotra also informed about the six Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) signed between the two countries. “PM Modi held extensive discussions with the leadership of Trinidad & Tobago covering the entire gamut of the bilateral relationship. A total of six MoUs or agreements have been signed between the two countries.”
The six MoUs were signed following delegation-level talks between PM Modi and his Trinidad and Tobago counterpart Kamla Persad-Bissessar in Port of Spain on Friday.
The MoUs include an agreement on the Indian Pharmacopoeia, which aims to provide improved access to Indian pharmaceutical products in the Trinidad and Tobago market, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated in a release.
To strengthen the development cooperation partnership between the two countries, an agreement was signed for an Indian grant to implement Quick Impact Projects (QIP).
Agreements were also signed to strengthen cooperation in sports, diplomatic training, and the re-establishment of two ICCR Chairs of Hindi and Indian Studies at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Trinidad and Tobago.
An MoU on the Programme of Cultural Exchanges for the period 2025–2028 was also signed.
After concluding his visit to Trinidad and Tobago, PM Modi embarked on his visit to Argentina for the third leg of his five-nation tour. (ANI)
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