India, Trinidad and Tobago pledge stronger ties in health, digitalisation, agriculture

India and Trinidad and Tobago have agreed to significantly enhance collaboration across various key sectors, including healthcare, digital infrastructure, and agriculture, following extensive talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Trinidadian counterpart Kamla Persad-Bissessar. This focus on development cooperation formed an important pillar of bilateral relations during Modi's visit to the Caribbean nation, the first by an Indian premier since 1999. Trinidad and Tobago was the second stop in Modi’s five-nation tour, a country where over 40% of its 1.36 million population are of Indian origin.

During their discussions on Friday, the two leaders called for greater cooperation on pressing global challenges such as climate change, disaster management, and cyber-security. Prime Minister Modi also expressed appreciation for Trinidad and Tobago’s strong support and solidarity in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, with both nations reiterating their firm condemnation of terrorism in all its forms. A joint statement from the external affairs ministry highlighted their agreement to work towards greater solidarity among the countries of the Global South and to strengthen the India-CARICOM partnership.

Six agreements were signed during the visit, including a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Indian pharmacopoeia to facilitate closer collaboration in pharmaceuticals, an agreement on Indian grant assistance for quick impact projects, and cultural exchange programs. In a significant move for digital cooperation, the two sides will explore implementing Indian digital public infrastructure solutions like DigiLocker, with Trinidad and Tobago – already the first Caribbean country to adopt India’s UPI – seeking support for digitizing its state land registration system. India also announced gifts of 2,000 laptops for education, $1 million worth of agro-machinery for food security, 20 haemodialysis units, two sea ambulances, and a prosthetic limb camp for 800 individuals. Both countries affirmed mutual support for each other's candidatures for non-permanent seats in the UN Security Council, with Trinidad and Tobago fully endorsing India's bid for permanent membership in an expanded Security Council.