Guyana and India share ideas on new areas of cooperation

The Third Round of political consultations between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here and the Ministry of External Affairs of India was convened Friday at the ministry in Georgetown, and the two countries also utilized the opportunity to share ideas on new areas of cooperation.

The Guyana delegation was led by Minister of Foreign Affairs Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett while the Indian delegation was led by Vivek Katju, Secretary of the Western Division of the Ministry of External Affairs, a release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

Rodrigues-Birkett and Katju engaged in extensive and fruitful discussions on the political, economic, cultural, trade and technical aspects of bilateral cooperation between Guyana and India and shared ideas of new areas of cooperation between the two countries, the release said.

They also took the opportunity to review projects and programmes under the 4th Guyana/India Joint Commission and to interact and exchange views on developments in their respective regions as well as those in the international arena, including the ongoing process of effecting reform within the United Nations.

The consultations concluded with a shared commitment to work towards the further expansion and deepening of bilateral relations, the release noted

Katju also paid courtesy calls on President Bharrat Jagdeo, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds and Minister of Finance Dr Ashni Singh.

Meanwhile, Rodrigues-Birkett reaffirmed the sentiments conveyed by President Jagdeo to the President of India Pratibha Patil on the atrocity of the recent bombings which claimed innocent lives in Mumbai.

She also reiterated Guyana’s solidarity with India in that country’s efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice.