Narendra Modi meets Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit of Commonwealth of Dominica for bilateral talks

In Georgetown, Guyana, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a bilateral meeting with Roosevelt Skerrit, the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica.

The gathering, which took place during PM Modi’s trip to Guyana, is a component of India’s continuous efforts to improve relations and promote collaboration with Caribbean countries.

Since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1981, India and the Commonwealth of Dominica have had historically friendly bilateral relations. Dominica is accredited to India’s diplomatic mission in Port of Spain, although it does not have a diplomatic representation in India.

Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Skerrit’s meetings at the India-CARICOM Leaders’ Meeting in New York in September 2019, which took place on the fringes of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), are among the many high-level engagements that have characterized the relationship.

Additionally, on April 30, 2020, Dominica’s Foreign Minister Kenneth Darroux and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had teleconferences to discuss the difficulties caused by the Covid-19 epidemic. Dominica’s Foreign Affairs Minister Vince Henderson also attended a number of important events in 2023, such as the India-UN for Global South event during India’s G20 Presidency in New York and the India-COFCOR Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Georgetown.

The India-UNDP Project in Kalinago is one example of how India has taken the initiative to aid Dominica’s development. With a USD 1 million grant, the project was started in February 2021 with the goal of enhancing resilience and sustainable livelihoods in the Kalinago community.

India pledged an extra USD 1 million for the Community Resilience Project’s second phase earlier in 2024. Additionally, 70,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccinations were donated to Dominica as a part of India’s Vaccine Maitri program, and Prime Minister Skerrit personally accepted them in February 2021. Additionally, the Indian government has sent medical supplies, such as grant-in-aid medications for public hospitals in 2016 and assistance during the Covid-19 epidemic.

Nearly 70 Indian nationals work in retail and medicine, particularly at Ross Medical University, and are part of Dominica’s Indian diaspora. The island country is today home to around 500 individuals of Indian descent, which further solidifies the cultural and interpersonal links between the two nations.