From Excellency Dr Amit Telang
Hon’ble Minister for Finance & Public Services, H.E. Dr Ashni Singh
Senior representatives from the Government of Guyana
Distinguished guests from the ITEC Alumni network
Esteemed colleagues from the Diplomatic Corps
Members of the media
Members of the Indian and Guyanese business fraternity
Ladies & gentlemen
Namaskaar, Seetaraam, good evening to all of you
At the outset, I would like to extend a warm welcome to all of you on behalf of the High Commission and the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre.
It gives me immense pleasure to note that launched in 1964, the Indian Technical & Economic Cooperation Programme would turn 60 this year. It is indeed a milestone and also a testament to India’s commitment to work closely with all our international partners for capacity building and skill development in areas of their interest.
Nothing captures the essence of the ITEC programmebetter than the following statements by Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi ji.
I quote
India is a country that has always played a constructive role on the world stage. Our offer of development aid, our development model is not based on ‘give and take’ but is guided by the developmental requirements of our partner countries. Our focus has always been on capacity building and resource development. We have always strived for collective teamwork at all forums of our developmental partnerships.
Unquote
I don’t intend to bore and burden you with a lot of statistical data, but a few numbers would testify the success of this initiative which undoubtedly has become a backbone of our overall partnership with Guyana. In April 2023, when Hon’ble External Affairs Minister visited Guyana, he made an offer to substantially increase the number of ITEC slots and diversify the areas of courses offered under the programme. I am delighted to share that we have not only utilized the slots but have even exceeded it and it shows the amount of interest in the courses and the enthusiasm with which our Guyanese friends participated in these courses. We thank all our colleagues and partners from various Ministries and Departments from the Government of Guyana for their proactive involvement and support to our efforts.
I would be remiss if I do not recognize the efforts of the Ministry of Public Service both under the former Minister Hon’ble Sonia Parag and the present Minister and our esteemed guest today. Hon’ble Dr Ashni Singh. I must share that Hon’ble Minister Ashni Singh agreed to attend the event and deliver the keynote address despite the unprecedented level of engagements over the last few days beginning with the IADB meeting, the CARICOM Summit and many other international and domestic engagements.
The success of the ITEC Programme has been substantiated by the achievements of our Alumni. ITEC has produced many world-class achievers from world leaders to academic achievers in various fields In Guyana in particular, he have the most shining example in the form of our beloved H.E. Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, Hon’ble President of Guyana and a great friend of India. Under his visionary leadership, Guyana has adopted an inclusive developmental model which will enable Guyana to leapfrog from one of the poor countries in South America, despite its vast resources,a few years back to a country full of promise and prowess that will undoubtedly play an indispensable role in addressing many global issues.
We are also happy to note the forward looking budget prepared under the watch of Hon’ble Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh. The budget is impressive not only in its quantity- worth a staggering GYD 1.146 Trillion- but also in its quality addressing the aspirations and reflecting the hopes of the Guyanese people. I think Hon’ble Minister captured the vision of this budget in the following statement.
I quote:
Notwithstanding the interlocking and overlapping global crises we face, given the bold agenda our Government is implementing, as I have outlined in Budget 2024, we in Guyana are also living in what would validly be described as the age of opportunity.
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It truly is an age of opportunity. Guyana is on the cusp of an unprecedented period of growth and it may present some unique challenges, especially to cater to the hopes and aspirations of people in a multiethnicand multireligious society. But we have no doubt that under the theme of One Guyana, our friends from Guyana would not only overcome such hurdles but convert every adversity into an opportunity. I would like to assure our Guyanese friends that India is prepared to be a partner in this process and as has always been the case India is willing to share its experience and expertise in areas that might be of interest to our Guyanese friends.
This relationship is not a transactional relationship of give and take but a relationship based on three Cs- cooperation, coordination and cohesion. The ITEC programme quintessential element in our partnership model and we are happy that it has not only succeeded and flourished but has increasingly become a cornerstone in our development-oriented partnership.
As I conclude, let me thank all of you for joining us this evening for this event and especially our ITEC Alumni for sharing their thoughts and also entertaining us. They are the true Ambassadors of India-Guyana friendship and partnership. I wish them success in all their endeavours and wish you all a pleasant evening.
Dhanyavaad
Thank you.