Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday met with Saint Lucia’s Prime Minister Philip Pierre on the sidelines of the second India-CARICOM Summit in Guyana.

The two leaders discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation across various sectors such as capacity building, education, healthcare, renewable energy, cricket, and yoga.

The meeting was described by the Indian Prime Minister’s Office as “productive.”

In a post on X, PM Modi said that the discussions centered on boosting trade linkages and enhancing ties in sectors such as healthcare, pharma and energy.

PM Pierre expressed appreciation for PM Modi’s seven-point plan aimed at reinforcing the India-CARICOM partnership, which PM Modi detailed during the summit.

The plan, symbolized by the acronym “CARICOM,” lays out seven pillars for cooperation: capacity building through scholarships, training, and technical support; agriculture and food security; renewable energy and climate change; innovation, technology, and trade; cricket and culture; ocean economy and maritime security; and medicine and healthcare.

“Each of these pillars represents a key area where India aims to contribute to the development of CARICOM nations”, PM Modi said during the summit.

The meeting between the two leaders followed a recent interaction between India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Saint Lucia’s Foreign Minister Alva Baptiste at the 79th UN General Assembly in New York in September.

(With ANI input)