Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is scheduled to visit three Caribbean countries – Jamaica, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago – from May 2 to May 10. The main objective of this visit is to strengthen India’s historical and cultural relations with these countries and to discuss bilateral, regional and global issues.

Let us tell you, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), during this visit, Jaishankar will meet the leaders of these three countries and discuss various aspects to further the partnership between the two countries. In particular, India’s indentured community has played an important role in these countries, which is one of the mainstays of relations between the two countries.

The purpose of this visit is to maintain the momentum of India’s political engagement with these countries, and to further deepen these old and friendly relations. In particular, it manifests a shared commitment to South-South cooperation and development, opening up avenues of progress and prosperity between India and these countries.

During this period, Jaishankar will meet prominent business leaders of these countries and will also interact with members of the Indian diaspora. India is deepening its engagement with these countries over time, so as to strengthen the foundation of prosperous bilateral relations between the two countries.

The foundation of this foreign policy of India is the move towards friendship and mutual development with the Caribbean countries, and it is also an important step for the Indian community.

This visit is an attempt by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to add a new chapter to the previous meetings and cooperation with these countries. For example, Prime Minister Modi held bilateral talks with President Chandrika Prasad Santokhi of Suriname during the 2nd India-CARICOM Summit held in Georgetown, Guyana, in November 2024. The two leaders discussed development, trade, and ways to further strengthen people-to-people ties.

Prime Minister Modi also took special initiatives in the past, such as the inauguration of the “Jamaica Road”, highlighting the strong and friendly relations between India and Jamaica. At the time of this inauguration, Prime Minister Modi’s Jamaican counterpart Andrew Holness visited India.

India’s relations with these countries are not only political, but also commercial and cultural. Along with Trinidad and Tobago, recently Prime Minister Modi had announced that the Indian origin community living there will be given Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) cards, which will give Indians settled in these countries another opportunity to connect with India.

With this visit, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar and the Government of India are taking another important step towards ensuring our strong and stable role in the Caribbean.