India’s High Commissioner to Barbados, Dr. Shankar Balachandran presenting a gift to Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Joy-Ann Skinner at today’s courtesy call. (GP)
Visa waiver agreements and educational scholarships were the major talking points today, when Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Joy-Ann Skinner, met with India’s High Commissioner to Barbados, Dr. Shankar Balachandran.
Ms. Skinner thanked the Government of India for offering scholarships and training programmes to the Barbadian public over the years. She also gave a commitment that the Ministry would work on the necessary details to establish a visa waiver agreement between Barbados and India.
Dr. Balachandran, who resides in Paramaribo, Suriname, noted that the relations between India and Barbados are very important, given the large Indian community with a strong entrepreneurial presence on the island.
Other topics discussed were grant projects for Latin America and the Caribbean, the Indian Council of Cultural Relations scholarships, the Sustainable Development Goals, COVID-19 vaccines, the Bridgetown Initiative, and India’s upcoming B20 Summit in August.
Both officials also agreed to explore ways to enhance the cooperation between their countries. Barbados and India established diplomatic relations on November 30, 1966.