New Delhi: Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness Monday began a four-day visit to India to solidify bilateral ties in a range of key areas including trade and investment.
It is the first ever bilateral visit of a prime minister of Jamaica to India.
Holness will hold wide-ranging talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday following which the two sides are expected to firm up a number of pacts to expand cooperation in a range of areas.
“I look forward to the important and impactful discussions we will have as we explore new areas of cooperation and further deepen the bonds of friendship between India and Jamaica,” the Jamaican leader said on ‘X’.
On Wednesday, Holness is visiting Varanasi.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Sunday said Holness’s visit is expected to bolster bilateral relations, enhance economic cooperation, and solidify the longstanding bonds between the two countries.
“The visit will also provide an opportunity to Prime Minister Holness to meet with other dignitaries and interact with trade and industry leaders,” the MEA said.
It said a number of MoUs are expected to be signed during the visit of the Jamaican prime minister that would give a fillip to bilateral cooperation.
“India and Jamaica share strong historical and cultural linkages, reflected in their shared colonial past, values of democracy and freedom, and passion for cricket,” the MEA said in a statement.
India and Jamaica have traditionally enjoyed cordial relations based on common linkages of history, parliamentary democracy, membership of the Commonwealth, as well as love of cricket.
Jamaica is one of the ‘Girmitya’ countries with a 70,000 strong Indian diaspora, who act as a living bridge between the two countries.
India was one of the first countries to recognise Jamaica after it became an independent nation.
Diplomatic relations between India and Jamaica were established in 1962.
Following the visit of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to Jamaica (1975), a resident mission was established in Kingston in 1976.
A resident mission of Jamaica in India started functioning in 2020.
There has been a steady growth in bilateral trade as well as economic and commercial interactions despite the constraint of distance and Jamaica’s preferential trade pacts with regional partners.
Bilateral trade has witnessed significant growth over the past decade, increasing from $28 million in 2011-12 to $116 million in 2023-24.
The trade in 2023-24 grew 26 per cent compared to the previous year, according to official data.
PTI