Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness has underscored the importance of enhancing collaboration with India across various sectors, particularly science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), education, digitalisation, security, and energy. Holness acknowledged India’s leading role in technological advancement and expressed his nation’s eagerness to learn from India’s achievements in STEM and digitalisation.
Holness also emphasized Jamaica’s growing interest in leveraging India’s expertise in technology-driven security measures to improve national and border security. He praised India as a global leader in these solutions, seeing it as a natural partner in enhancing Jamaica’s security infrastructure.
On the energy front, Holness noted that Jamaica shares India’s commitment to diversifying its energy mix by 2030. This common goal sets the stage for deeper cooperation in energy security. To further solidify these ties, Holness announced Jamaica’s decision to join the Global Biofuels Alliance, a key initiative championed by the Indian government.
The Prime Minister also highlighted Jamaica’s vulnerability to climate change, commending India for its global initiatives like the Infrastructure for Resilient Island States (IRIS) and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI). Holness expressed pride in Jamaica being invited to be a founding member of both alliances.
During his official visit from September 30 to October 3, Holness met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi for bilateral discussions aimed at strengthening ties. This marks the first-ever official bilateral visit by a Jamaican Prime Minister to India. The leaders discussed enhancing cooperation in various sectors, reflecting the strong historical and cultural bonds between the two nations, with shared values of democracy, freedom, and a mutual passion for cricket.
