The New High Commissioner of India, Gauri Shankar Gupta paid a 3-day official visit to the Commonwealth of Dominica from 27-30 April, 2014.
On April 28th Gupta presented his credentials, Charles Angelo Savarin, D.A.H., and President of the Commonwealth of Dominica.
During his stay, the High Commissioner also called on other Ministers including Alvin Bernard, Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to discuss issues of bilateral concern.
Courtesy Calls were also paid to Julius Timothy, Minister of Health; Matthew Walter, Minister of Agriculture and Parliamentary Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office responsible for Information Technology Kelvar Darroux.
The two sides agreed to work together to further strengthen the close bilateral ties that exist between India and Dominica.
The Government of India attaches great importance to its relations with Dominica as a fellow developing nation. In the spirit of South-South Cooperation, the Government of India has taken several initiatives to forge greater bonds of cooperation with Dominica.
Keeping this in view, India recently provided humanitarian assistance of US $300,000.00 in the wake of damage caused by flash floods in December 2013. To enhance people to people cooperation between the two countries, the Government of India also provides several fully funded training courses under India’s Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme.
The Government of India has also agreed, in principle, to (a) provide services of an agro-processing expert; (b) set up of an IT Centre of Excellence; and (c) facilitate Solar Street Lighting and Community Development in Dominica.
What do they want in return?
Hey Bogoroy, we don’t have much to learn from India. The EU have banned their mangoes as from 1 May because of fruit fly infestation. That business is worth some U.S.6 million over a ten week period from mid April. Maybe the E.U. can buy our fruit instead. After all, it comes out of the garden of Eden!
India is real. That’s a Nation to work with. Greetings India once more. Luv ya efforts in Dominica. gracious souls you are.
It’s nice to see us cooperating with a fellow democracy for a change….
The irony must not be lost that for most of our history, our most generous partners are not western democratic states.
I am not sure that it is such a bad idea after all to be cooperating with non-western democratic states. Heck, even the great USA itself is in bed with many.
Those countries have not been our partners, we have simply been their client states. The same is true of the U.S.: one either supports their imperial ambitions or else one is on the outs with them. Strong relationships with countries like India and Brazil, however, might make for something a little better.
So Bogoroy the EU is not a western democracy then? Go and check with Eddie Lambert how much we benefit from them. Tell us how much we ever get from democratic Africa, who are supposed to be our brothers and we are praising all the time?