External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar visited Trinidad and Tobago on 8 and 9 May 2026, marking the final leg of his three-nation Caribbean tour, which included Jamaica and Suriname. Upon arrival, he was received by Trinidad and Tobago’s Foreign Minister Sean Sobers.
Dr Jaishankar held talks with Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and other senior leaders to expand bilateral cooperation and review progress on announcements made during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Trinidad and Tobago the previous year. Addressing the flag-raising ceremony at the Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs on 8 May, Dr Jaishankar described the deep-rooted nature of bilateral ties.
A total of eight Memorandum of Understandings were signed between both nations, covering tourism, the solarisation of the Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs building, vector control, the infrastructure upgrade of Nelson Island, and the establishment of an Indian Chair on Ayurveda at the University of the West Indies. Discussions also covered cooperation in infrastructure, security, forensics, healthcare, and capacity building. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to coordination in regional and multilateral forums, including on issues concerning the Global South.
In the presence of Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar, Dr Jaishankar handed over the first batch of 2,000 laptops to selected schoolchildren and inaugurated an agro-processing facility for which machinery worth USD 1 million had been provided by India the previous year. Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar and Dr Jaishankar jointly inaugurated Trinidad and Tobago’s National Prosthetics Centre in Penal.
Dr Jaishankar joined Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar for the launch of a Quick Impact Project, supported by Indian grant assistance, aimed at upgrading cultural heritage facilities on the island. The project includes a memorial monument, a digital hub of historical data from national archives, and a digital audio-visual experience.
In his remarks at Nelson Island, Dr Jaishankar paid tribute to Indians’ “fortitude, determination, and resolve” in building new lives. He also noted that the Indian High Commission was receiving a growing number of applications for Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) cards following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement of the extension of OCI eligibility to the sixth generation during his visit to the country.
An archival cooperation agreement between both nations was also concluded. Dr Jaishankar stated that the agreement would help many members of the Indian diaspora trace their ancestral roots and reconnect with their families in India.
Dr Jaishankar visited the Parliament, where his presence was acknowledged, and Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar delivered a statement in his honour. He paid respects at Mahatma Gandhi’s bust at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute for Cultural Cooperation and also visited the Dattatreya Mandir and Hanuman Murti in Central Trinidad.
Three-Nation Caribbean Tour
Dr Jaishankar had earlier concluded his high-level visits to Jamaica and Suriname between 2 and 7 May 2026. In Jamaica, he undertook the first-ever bilateral visit by an Indian External Affairs Minister, holding wide-ranging talks with Prime Minister Andrew Holness and Foreign Minister Kamina Johnson Smith. The discussions focused on expanding cooperation in health, infrastructure, digitalisation, agriculture, education, tourism, and capacity building; both sides signed three MoUs in the areas of health cooperation, solarisation of the Hugh Lawson Shearer Building, and broadcasting. In Suriname, Dr Jaishankar called on President Jennifer Geerlings-Simons and met National Assembly Chairman Ashwin Adhin, with both sides highlighting the importance of parliamentary exchanges. He inaugurated a Passion Fruit Processing Facility completed with Indian grant assistance and paid tribute at several cultural and historical sites linked to the Indian diaspora. He also inaugurated a National Archives exhibition on Indian migration and delivered an address on “Partnership for Progress.”
