Georgetown:
In a historic moment, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today addressed Parliament in Guyana. He is the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the Caribbean country in 56 years. In his speech, Prime Minister Modi emphasized on the special bond between the two nations and highlighted the age-old ties that exist with the first Indians who migrated more than 180 years ago.
Prime Minister Modi began his address to parliamentarians in Guyana by saying: “I am here today in the capacity of the Prime Minister of India, but I have come to your beautiful country before – 24 years ago – as one who was curious to know more about your country, its people and the Caribbean.”
“India and Guyana share a deep bond – a relationship of trust, hard work and mutual respect,” Prime Minister Modi said in his opening address. He further noted that the two nations share common democratic values, and that, he said, is the way forward.
“The strongest for today's world mantra “To move forward is 'Democracy first, humanity first,'” he said. The Prime Minister, who had said more than a year ago that 'This is not an era for war', added today by saying: 'This is an era of cooperation, not conflict', while further explaining that 'democracy The way forward is not expansionism.”