India-CARICOM Summit: PM Gaston Browne eyeing to boost economic, commercial ties with PM Modi

Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne, during the highly anticipated India-CARICOM Summit 2024 is all set to discuss strengthening of economic and commercial relations between The Caribbean Community and India.  

The four-day summit which is set to roll out today will conclude on Saturday evening and feature significant bilateral discussions between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and CARICOM Heads of States.  

The 57-year-old Antiguan Prime Minister is expected to engage in high level discussions with the Indian Prime Minister and regional counterparts about the economic and commercial relations, further deepening ties with India.  

Prime Minister Browne arrives in Guyana 

Prime Minister Gaston Browne arrived in Georgetown, Guyana on Tuesday to participate in the historic summit alongside Indian PM and leaders from 13 CARICOM nations.  

PM Browne to discuss strengthening of economic and commercial relations 

During the India-CARICOM Summit, the Antiguan Prime Minister is expected to discuss furthering the economic and commercial relations between the CARICOM member states and India. This will allow for both regions to collaborate and boost their bilateral as well as diplomatic ties.  

The engagement is expected to boost an already strong relationship in areas including agriculture and food security, economic cooperation, health and pharmaceuticals as well as science and innovations.  

As India is a significant global actor, the Prime Minister is keen to meet PM Modi and develop deeper technical relationships and strengthen the relationship in terms of advocacy for the small islands on the international stage and also boost people to people ties. 

Browne’s 3rd official meeting with the Indian Prime Minister 

This is not the first time that PM Gaston Browne and PM Narendra Modi will be meeting as the two leaders had shared interactions earlier as well.  

In 2018, Modi interacted with Prime Minster Browne on the sidelines of the multilateral Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in London. During this meeting, the leaders exchanged their views and talked about the issues being faced by the small island nations.  

Following this, they also met in 2019 during the 1st edition of India-CARICOM Summit held on the sidelines of UN General Assembly in New York. 

This meeting in Guyana will mark their 3rd official visit and it strives to deepen partnerships in trade, climate action, energy, and cultural exchange. 

India-Antigua and Barbuda relations  

Reportedly, India and Antigua and Barbuda have enjoyed very friendly relations since 1981 and have entered into technical cooperation projects to the benefit of both sovereign states. In 2017, after a very devastating natural disaster in Antigua and Barbuda, India came forward with the resources to put the Hanna Thomas Hospital in Barbuda back to operation.  

While the hospital was severely damaged and its equipment was destroyed by the vicious winds and water of Hurricane Irma, India provided with the major assistance.  

Even during the wake of global war against the dreadful Covid 19 pandemic, India assisted Antigua and Barbuda with a donation of $1 Million USD worth of life saving equipment and PPE’s.  

The two countries are expected to boost their relations in several areas now including health, technology, agriculture and much more, giving a major push to their bilateral and diplomatic ties and joining their hands to advocate for the common issues such as climate change.  

Who is Gaston Browne  

Gaston Alphonso Browne was born in Antigua on February 9, 1967 and as a child he resided in Grays Farm. He did his schooling from Villa Primary, Princess Margeret following which he moved to Antigua State College and then to City Banking College in UK and University of Manchester in UK.  

He got his post graduation with a first degree in banking, graduating with the top 10 of several thousand students.  

Browne’s Political Career  

According to the information, he joined the field of politics in 1999 and was elected to parliament for the constituency of St John’s City West. During his first term, he was appointed as the Minister of Planning, Trade, Industry, Commerce as well as Public Service Affairs.  

In December 2012, he was appointed as the leader of the opposition and soon after that in 2014, Gaston Browne led the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party to a huge victory by securing 14 out of 17 seats. This was a huge moment for the Labour Party as it managed to win under Browne after 10 years of being in opposition.  

He sworn in as the Prime Minister of the twin island nation on June 13, 2014 and has since then made significant strides in the overall development of the nation.  

Major Achievements of PM Browne 

Notably, Gaston Browne is well known for his philanthropic work which is clearly visible through his immense contributions to the empowerment of the people of Antigua and Barbuda.  

He is known as the leader who managed the country after Category 5 Hurricane Irma swept through Barbuda in September 2017. The storm which destroyed 95 percent of property and vehicles island wide, left 60% of the island’s residents homeless.  

Barbuda was left like a rubble with no water or phone service but PM Browne’s quick and immediate efforts to provide relief to the impacted ones made it feel so easy for the island to be managed after such a life-threatening storm.  

While the leader has received several international awards and recognitions, one of the most recent ones include him being named among the top 10 Caribbean Global Leaders by the Caribbean Global Awards. This showcases his overall impact across the globe and his influence on the Caribbean region as a whole.