(Trinidad Express) Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said yesterday India’s largest private company, Reliance, plans to invest $1 billion in Trinidad and Tobago.
The company is looking at setting up an ammonia plant in Trinidad.
At an online conference hosted by telecom provider TSTT at the company’s Edward Street, Port of Spain offices Persad-Bissessar, speaking from Mumbai, said: “The theme of the visit is ‘Partnering for Diversification, Innovation and Investment’ and that’s exactly what we achieved from this trip. This trip was aimed at the achievement of future progress and establishing and strengthening bilateral relations which have resolved in success. India has shown a strong desire to partner with us in various areas of our interest.”
The ministerial delegations of both India and Trinidad and Tobago have signed Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) in sectors such as ICT, medical and health care, tourism, fashion, film and animation.
In the field of natural resources, the Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL) and the Oil and Natural Gas Commission signed a Memorandum of Understanding with The National Gas Co of Trinidad and Tobago.
As a result, Trinidad will help India in this sector with its technical expertise.
The University of the West Indies, St Augustine, signed an agreement with the Indira Gandhi National Open University to introduce distance learning courses to Trinidad and Tobago.
The Sri Ram Institute will also be providing UWI assistance in the field of research testing, Persad-Bissessar said.
In addition to this, a technical cooperation agreement was signed which will enable experts from India to come and provide services to Trinidad and Tobago.
Shelja Kumari, Indian Minister of Culture, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, signed an agreement with Persad-Bissessar under which a cultural exchange will take place.
The National Steel Orchestra will visit India and a team of musicians from India will teach the sitar, dholak, dhantal and tabla to local music students.
Air link agreements have been signed between Air India and Caribbean Airlines Ltd.
Persad-Bissessar said new flights will be beneficial to India as “Trinidad and Tobago is a gateway to the Americas”.
She said these new air links will start by the end of the year but “we are hoping they will come into effect as soon as possible”.
The Indian government and the Trinidad and Tobago Government have decided to “collaborate in a comprehensive anti-terrorism effort to obtain rural peace and security,” she said.
Asked about the number of people on the mission to India, she said, “My delegation consists of my ministers and their support staff. I am not in a position to say how many delegates accompanied me exactly, but the expenditure for me and my delegates was paid for completely by the Indian government and I am very thankful for that. Apart from my delegation there are other people who have accompanied me on this trip and they have come here at their own cost.”
About 150 people from Trinidad and Tobago are on the trip to India.
Persad-Bissessar said the mission was not about her finding her roots but rather, a sense of realisation about where she is from. “Finding one’s roots is a fairly modern concept. If I had to do so I would come here personally by myself like I have done in the past.”
Cricket star Brian Lara, who also accompanied the Prime Minister to India, said, “I quite enjoyed this trip as this time I came here not as a cricketer but as an ambassador.”
Persad-Bissessar returns to Trinidad and Tobago tomorrow.
