Since my Delhi visit, uptake in India-Saint Vincent and the Grenadines ties: PM Ralph Gonsalves
May 20, 2022
Kingstown [Saint Vincent and the Grenadines], May 20 : Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said that since his visit to India in September 2019, Delhi-Kingstown relationship has seen an amazing uptake and people have seen the benefit.
"Since my visit to India in September 2019, we have seen an amazing uptake in our relations both at home and abroad with India and people have seen the benefit. This visit by President Ram Nath Kovind has played a significant role in the country," SVG Prime Minister Gonsalves told ANI.
Referring to President Kovind's speech in the parliament of SVG, Prime Minister Gonsalves said that both the countries are different from each other in location, size, and unequal power but yet they share a lot in common.
"We have ties of blood, share the values of democracy and liberty, share the same ideas of non-alignment from hegemony power blocks, and we work multilateral system very well at the UN," he added.
The Prime Minister revealed that they are planning to expand the bilateral trade with India and also said that in 2023, they are intended to establish a diplomatic mission in Delhi so that the investment and trade could be encouraged.
Appreciating India's help during the COVID pandemic, Gonsalves said that India has shown its solidarity to their country during the COVID pandemic when they sent the vaccine, adding they will not forget this gesture.
"This act of friendship and solidarity brought immense love for India in addition to what it existed before," SVG Prime Minister added.
Referring to the climate problem, Gonsalves recalled that during his India visit in 2019, he held a discussion over desertification, drought and land degradation problem with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Commenting on India's commitment to work with small island developing countries, SVG Prime Minister said, "India does the remarkable work. Not only at the UN but also in G20, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, in every forum in the world. India pushes the Asia's small island developing states, they push the issues of climate change, the issue which concern and affect us... And that is why we have such appreciation for India."
