Five Memoranda of Under-standing (MoUs) were yesterday signed between Guyana and India covering health, pharmaceuticals, broadcasting, culture, agriculture and the hydrocarbon sector.
“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,” President Irfaan Ali said yesterday with the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his side at State House and where the MoUs were signed and a joint statement issued.
Modi arrived in Guyana on Wednesday night on a three-day visit. He is scheduled to address Parliament today along with other activities.
“Prime Minister Modi’s visit represents a significant milestone in enhancing cooperation between our two nations and across multiple sectors. During our meetings, we signed several key agreements in critical areas, such as hydrocarbons, health, agriculture, technology transfer, and we further discussed collaboration on infrastructure, education, human capital, development and the continued diversification of our economy,” Ali said.
And in food security, he said that India’s support in advancing Guyana’s rice industry through technology, innovation and research area will also see assistance to the sugar industry, not only from an infrastructure perspective, but also from a human resource and technical perspective.
“They will support us in expanding our corn, soya and looking at wheat farming and production here in Guyana, food processing, and important to all of this is research and development,” he said.
In the use of technology and innovation in agriculture, India, Ali posited, was a global powerhouse that has distinguished itself among all other global competitors in this area, and Guyana has been afforded the opportunity to tap into it and will maximize this opportunity.
Turning to health, he said that already pursuing having vaccine manufacturing here in Guyana, India as “a giant in this field” presents a tremendous opportunity and this will be part of the collaboration.
The President pointed out urban development, and India’s expertise, saying New Delhi will be lending that prowess to Guyana.
Global role
And given that when it comes to technology India plays a global role, Ali said that innovation, digitization and technology transfer are key elements of collaboration as Guyana plans for the “rolling out of our own 2030 digitization plan to improve governance, efficiency, reliability, the advancement in our healthcare system focusing on telemedicine.”
“Those are also areas that are key to India’s development in which they have mastered the art of providing these services, and we will be beneficiary of those services. Importantly to all of this is our long-shared heritage, by culture, by blood, and people to people relationship is also significant in these discussions. It will be a significant part as we move forward. Needless to say, our cooperation and collaboration on issues of climate change, international security and peace, these are all key for both countries,” he added.
For his part, India’s Prime Minister said that India looks forward to adding to the over 180 years of history they share through collaborative partnerships. He pointed to the agriculture sector saying that not only Guyana was able to benefit but the entire CARICOM region through the food security agreement initiative.
He echoed Ali’s position on many of the areas and highlighted that through technology India was revolutionizing public sector delivery and this can also help here, while improving transparency and accountability.
“It is also an effective means to improve good governance and transparency we will share with Guyana improving people’s welfare through technology,” Modi said.
And when looking at energy, he said that not just hydrocarbons was a focus as green alternatives were key to a sustainable world and he was glad that this country has joined on to many initiatives started by India.
“Given the new possibilities in the area of energy, we will move forward together as natural partners. Guyana will play an important in India’s energy security. In this regard, we will create a roadmap for a long-term partnership. The MoU that we are signing today, on this subject, will further strengthen our cooperation, I am pleased that Guyana has joined initiatives started by India such as the International Solar Alliance, the coalition for disaster resilient infrastructure and the global biofuel alliance. These will help strengthen efforts being made across the world to move towards a green and sustainable future,” he said.
Climate justice
Modi said that both India and Guyana believe that “climate justice is a priority for both of us”.
“We will continue to work together on all these subjects. The people who arrived in Guyana 180 years ago laid the foundation for our relations. Today the Indian community in Guyana is making an important contribution to its development…,” he said.
Government shared summaries of each MoU and said that they would be made available in their entirety at a later time.
“The two governments have agreed on several areas of cooperation that will further strengthen bilateral relations and advance the development interests of both states,” Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister Kwame McCoy said as he gave outlines on all five of the MoUs.
He said that “They collectively span critical sectors, including energy, agriculture, healthcare, defence, digital transformation, and cultural exchange, reflecting a deep commitment to mutual growth and development.”
One MoU was between his office and India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, in the Field of Sharing Successful Digital Solutions Implemented at Population Scale for Digital Transformation
“The aim of the MoU is to promote digital transformation for the mutual benefit of Guyana and India. This will be achieved through capacity building and training programmers, exchange of best practices, exchange of public officials and experts, development of pilot or demo solutions, facilitation of private sector contacts, and other jointly decided means. The MoU promotes institutional cooperation for feasibility studies and implementation of digital solutions, facilitates consultations with public officials and experts, and supports the development of innovative solutions like India STACK,” he said.
For hydrocarbons, it said, “This MoU establishes a framework for Guyana and India to enhance bilateral collaboration in the hydrocarbon sector. It encompasses investment promotion, technology transfer, joint studies, and capacity building across the entire hydrocarbon value chain. This agreement underscores a shared commitment to fostering energy security and advancing mutual development priorities.”
Another MoU focuses on bilateral cooperation in the field of Agriculture and Allied Sectors.
“This MoU promotes collaboration between Guyana and India in agriculture through joint activities, exchange of expertise, and capacity building. It focuses on agricultural crops, climate-resilient practices, value-added products, and advanced technologies, emphasizing a mutual commitment to food security and agricultural innovation,” the government noted.
To make payment systems easier here, the two sides also signed a MoU between the Bank of Guyana, and India’s International Payments Limited (NPCI), with its aim to establish a mutual understanding between Guyana and India regarding a strategic alliance. This collaboration focuses on exploring the deployment of UPI-like-real-time payment system in Guyana, along with other related aspects.
“Guyana and India are interested in establishing a potential strategic and/or business partnership regarding the licensing and implementation of Unified Payment Interface (UPI) technology, as well as facilitating domestic interoperability for real-time payments in Guyana,” the two sides said.
A Memorandum of Understanding on pharmacopeia cooperation was signed between the Ministry of Health here and the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
That agreement aims to enhance cooperation between the two countries in medicine regulation by recognizing the Indian Pharmacopoeia as a standard for quality assurance. “It aims to promote the development of affordable generic medicines, strengthen public health capabilities, and align regulatory frameworks for mutual benefit,” McCoy said.
