Energy and food security will top the agenda for bilateral talks when the leaders of Guyana and India meet for bilateral talks on the sidelines of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention on January 9, 2023 in New Delhi.
For a number of months now, India has been pressing Guyana to purchase crude oil produced from the Stabroek Block.
A report in India’s Financial Express yesterday noted that India has been in talks to buy more crude from Guyana and this had also featured during the visit of Saurabh Kumar, Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs four-nation tour to the region last November.
The report said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will have bilateral talks with President Irfaan Ali. In response to a question by Financial Express Online, Dr Ausaf Sayeed, Secretary (CPV & OIA), Ministry of External Affairs said “Energy will be one of the subject we would like to build upon, as India’s energy demands are expected to go up from 4.8 million barrels per day in 2021 to almost 11.1 million barrels per day as we look decades later.”
According to him the Indian companies are already importing crude from Guyana worth around US$1.5 million. Other issues the two leaders will discuss would include migration & mobility, food processing, infrastructure, agriculture and ICT.
In view of the geopolitical situation, the report said that India has been consciously making efforts to expand its crude imports basket since 2020.
At the invitation of Prime Minister Modi, the President of Guyana is attending as the Chief Guest and the President of Suriname, Chandrikapersad Santokhi is coming as a Special Guest of Honour.
