New Delhi, Sep 29 (UNI) The Prime Minister of Jamaica Andrew Holness will be on a four-day official visit to India from September 30, at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
This will be his first visit to India, and also the first ever bilateral visit of a Prime Minister of Jamaica to India.
Earlier, Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Holness have met several times on the sidelines of multilateral meetings, a statement said.
During the visit, Prime Minister Holness will hold delegation level talks with Prime Minister Modi and call on President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar.
The visit will also provide an opportunity to Prime Minister Holness to meet with other dignitaries and interact with trade and industry leaders. A number of MoUs are expected to be signed during the visit giving a fillip to bilateral cooperation.
India and Jamaica share strong historical and cultural linkages, reflected in their shared colonial past, values of democracy and freedom, and passion for cricket.
This visit is expected to bolster bilateral relations, enhance economic cooperation, and solidify the longstanding bonds between Jamaica and India, the statement added.
Jamaica is home to an Indian diaspora of approximately 70,000, whose ancestors arrived as indentured labourers primarily between 1845 and 1917. 10th May is celebrated as India Heritage Day in Jamaica, to mark the arrival of the first Indian in Jamaica. This diaspora, which makes up around 3% of Jamaica’s population, is well integrated into Jamaican society and is fondly described as ‘genetically embedded and integrated.’ The Indian diaspora brought another group of Indian expatriates to work as office managers in their establishments.
