Port of Spain [Trinidad and Tobago], July 4 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his first official visit to Trinidad and Tobago on Thursday (local time) with a ceremonial Guard of Honour at Piarco International Airport, where he was received by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar along with 38 ministers and four Members of Parliament of the caribean nation.

This is PM Modi's first visit to the country as Prime Minister and the first bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the Caribbean nation since 1999. The visit comes at the invitation of Trinidad and Tobago's Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar.

During his two-day stay from July 3 to 4, Modi will hold meetings with President Christine Carla Kangaloo and Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar to strengthen ties between the two countries.

The High Commission in Port of Spain welcomed him with a post on X: 'Welcome to Trinidad & Tobago Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji!!'

Earlier, ahead of the PM's visit, India's High Commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago, Pradeep Singh Rajpurohit, said there was a strong desire among both the people and the government of Trinidad and Tobago for deeper cooperation with India.

'There is a lot of enthusiasm and excitement among the people... Everyone is looking forward to this visit... There is already an intense desire in Trinidad and Tobago for greater engagement and collaboration in a range of areas, and in this context, people and the government both are highly desirous of getting into a longstanding partnership, a broad-based partnership between India and Trinidad and Tobago...' Rajpurohit told ANI.

He highlighted the deep cultural and emotional ties between the two nations, stating that about half of Trinidad and Tobago's population is of Indian origin.

'There is a sizable population, about half of the population of this country of Indian origin... They have been here for the last 180 years. Many of them are in their 5th and 6th generation,' he said.

Speaking about the Indian diaspora in the country, he added, 'There is great excitement among the diaspora. They very regularly follow developments taking place in India,' noting their efforts to preserve Indian heritage over generations.

The High Commissioner also said that discussions during PM Modi's visit would build on the foundation laid during his visit to Guyana last year for the Second India-CARICOM Summit.

'Prime Minister Modi had visited Guyana last year for the Second India-CARICOM Summit, and a number of areas were discussed, and our Prime Minister made several announcements. Many of those areas, including agriculture, information technology, health and pharmaceuticals, renewable energy... These are the areas likely to be discussed between the two sides, and we expect some tangible outcomes out of the Prime Minister's visit...' he said.

Rajpurohit also emphasised the importance of the visit in the context of Trinidad and Tobago's newly formed government, noting that several cabinet ministers are of Indian origin.

'The Government of Trinidad and Tobago is a new government; several ministers in the cabinet are of Indian origin. There is great enthusiasm among them that they bring in all the benefits of India's growth journey,' he said.

'They are the first country in the Caribbean region in the CARICOM region to adopt India's flagship UPI platform, and they are in the process of its implementation,' he added.

PM Modi's visit to Trinidad and Tobago is part of a broader five-nation tour taking place from July 2 to July 9. His stop in Trinidad and Tobago is expected to boost bilateral relations, with a focus on areas such as digital finance, renewable energy, health, and IT. (ANI)