(CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown, Guyana) The Sixteenth Inter-Sessional Meeting of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), which opens in Paramaribo, Suriname on Wednesday, 16 February 2005, is being used as the backdrop for the exploration of new areas of cooperation between CARICOM Member States and several countries outside the Region.
India's Minister of State of External Affairs, His Excellency Rao Inderjit Singh is among several foreign officials holding talks with CARICOM Ministers in Paramaribo this week with a view to promoting technical cooperation programmes in the Region.
Following a bilateral exchange with Suriname's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Marie Levens, on Monday 14 February, Minister Singh told the media at a press conference that India plans to fund an information technology infrastructural programme for the Region, to enhance the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in the Caribbean.
He further noted that CARICOM/India relations will be advanced through that country's funding assistance to the CARICOM Secretariat to upgrade its ICT infrastructure at the new Secretariat headquarters in Georgetown which will be inaugurated on Saturday 19 February.
The Indian Minister of External Affairs said he hopes his talks with the CARICOM Ministers will serve to identify new areas of cooperation between CARICOM countries and India, as that country seeks to make CARICOM known to its people, while becoming integrally involved in advancing development programmes in the Caribbean.
Already, a cultural festival is in the making for India and will be spearheaded by Suriname, the country with lead responsibility for Youth and Cultural Development in the CARICOM Quasi cabinet.
Minister Levens noted that during a meeting between CARICOM Ministers of Foreign Affairs and a delegation from India on Tuesday, February 15, they would discuss among other things, India's bid for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.
