India & Jamaica sign 4 MoU to boost ties during Andrew Holness Visit

India and Jamaica signed four Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen and boost their bilateral relationships. The agreement was signed during Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness's visit to India. Prime Minister Andrew Holness is the first Prime Minister of Jamaica to visit India. He was on a four-day visit to India from 30 September to 3 October 2024, where he met the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Jamaica supports India’s bid to become a member of the UNSC

• During his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 2 October 2024 in New Delhi, Prime Minister Andrew Holness supported India’s bid to become a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.
• During his meeting with Andrew Holness, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India would share its experience with Jamaica in areas such as digital public infrastructure, small-scale industries, biofuel, innovation, health, education, and agriculture.
• Prime Minister Modi also said India will train Jamaican troops and help Jamaica’s capacity-building in the defence sector.

MoU between India and Jamaica 

Four MoUs were also signed between India and Jamaica during the visit of the Jamaican Prime Minister. These are as follows:

• Sharing of Successful Indian Digital Public Infrastructure with Jamaica to Promote Financial Inclusion and Social and Economic Transformation. 
• Cooperation between NPCI International Payments Limited and Egov Jamaica Limited.
• Cultural Exchange Programme between the two countries years for 2024-2029.
• Cooperation in Sports.

About Jamaica 

The island country of Jamaica is the third largest Caribbean island after Cuba and Hispaniola( Haiti and Dominican Republic are situated on the island). 

Jamaica is also part of the West Indies. West Indies is not a country but refers to a group of island countries in the Caribbean Sea.

It was colonised by the United Kingdom, and it gained its Independence in 1962.

Jamaica is part of the Commonwealth, and the British Monarch is the Head of the State.

More than 90 per cent of the country’s population are black Africans who were brought as slaves by the colonial rulers.

Capital: Kingston

Currency: Jamaican Dollar

Head of State: British Monarch King Charles III

Prime Minister: Andrew Holness