Dominica’s Highest Honor to be bestowed on Indian PM at upcoming India-CARICOM Summit

The Prime Minister of Dominica, Dr Roosevelt Skerrit, is all set to acknowledge the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi with the Dominica Award of Honour – the most coveted national accolade of the island nation.

It is reported that this recognition is to acknowledge and honour the tremendous assistance by PM Modi during the COVID-19 pandemic and his continued efforts to boost bilateral ties between Dominica and India.

According to the information, the award ceremony is set to take place during the upcoming INDIA-CARICOM Summit. The summit will be held in Georgetown, Guyana from November 19 to 21 with Dominican President Sylvanie Burton presiding over the event.

Notably, in February 2021, the Government of India assisted Dominica with a total of 70,000 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine and this generous support not only helped the Commonwealth of Dominica but also allowed the nation to extend support to neighbouring Caribbean islands amid the pandemic.

The transportation of these doses were facilitated by a special representative of St Kitts and Nevis Gurdip Dev Bath who share roots in India. 

It is reported that during the pandemic time, Dev Bath facilitated the transportation of over one lakh AstraZeneca vaccines from India to the Caribbean, supporting the small island during the time of dire need.

The Dominica Award of Honour is also to acknowledge India’s broader support under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in areas including education and information technology. Also, it emphasizes the role of India in promoting initiatives such as climate resilience and sustainable development on an international scale. 

While announcing the development, PM Roosevelt Skerrit highlighted that this award will showcase Dominica’s appreciation for PM Modi’s unwavering support during a tough period for the country and the region as a whole. 

The Dominican leader outlined that Prime Minister Modi has been a true partner to Dominica, especially during the time of need amid a global health crisis and it will be a true honour to present him with the highest national accolade of Dominica as a symbol of gratitude for his support and a reflection of the robust ties between the two countries. 

He added that his government is looking forward to building this partnership and strengthening the shared vision of resilience and progress. 

As Prime Minister Modi received the offer of the award, he stressed the necessity of collaboration in addressing global challenges such as climate change. He reiterated his government’s commitment to working alongside Dominica and the Caribbean to confront these issues. 

He is also scheduled to arrive to Guyana at the invitation of President Dr Irfaan Ali and will be staying from November 19 to 21. The visit will mark the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Guyana since 1968. 

During his State Visit, he will be engaging in several high level discussions with the President and other Caricom leaders apart from co-chairing the 2nd India Caricom Summit. 

India-CARICOM Summit 2024

Reportedly, Prime Minister Dr Roosevelt Skerrit and President Sylvanie Burton will be attending the India-Caricom summit. The event aims to address common priorities while exploring potential areas of cooperation between India and the CARICOM members. 

This 2nd edition of the summit will be co chaired by Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi alongside Prime Minister of Grenada, Dickon Mitchell and President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali.

This historic meeting will address key areas of cooperation, including security, trade, and development.