Jaishankar meets Guyana President Irfaan Ali; India to help build UPI-like payment system

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met Guyana President Dr Irfaan Ali and took stock of cooperation between the two countries. The most important decision of the meeting was an agreement to strengthen Digital Public Infrastructure between India and Guyana.

Under the agreement, a digital payment system similar to India's UPI (Unified Payments Interface) will be set up in Guyana. UPI is considered highly successful in India.

Jaishankar shared details of the meeting on his official social media platform. He said that, in an effort to deepen ties with Guyana, India has extended the validity of a Line of Credit of 500 million US dollars for basic projects in road construction, healthcare and defence.

Citing the recent rapid improvement in relations, Jaishankar said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Guyana in November 2024 had given the ties a new dimension. That visit emphasised promoting digital infrastructure. Attention was also given to building a strong ecosystem for agriculture, especially to help small farmers.

The meeting did not cover only large infrastructure. Agreements were also reached on matters that directly affect people's daily lives at the local level. In the presence of both leaders, important agreements were signed on the supply and setting up of production projects for micro and small enterprises (MSE).

The two countries also agreed to provide special grant support for implementing Quick Impact Projects, to quickly resolve local problems, big and small, and bring basic improvements. This is expected to increase employment in Guyana and give relief to small entrepreneurs.

On the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Antigua and Barbuda, Jaishankar met not only the Guyana President but also other global leaders. He discussed bilateral relations with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. He also met United Kingdom Prime Minister Andy Burnham and discussed in detail ways to further strengthen the economic partnership between the two countries in the context of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).

India and Guyana have long-standing diplomatic and cultural ties. Both countries were once part of the British colonial empire. An Indian commission was first set up in Georgetown, Guyana, in May 1965, and it was upgraded in 1968 to a full-fledged High Commission of India. To increase cultural exchange, an Indian Cultural Centre was started in Guyana in 1972. Many people of Indian origin live in Guyana today.