Minister of State for External Affairs and Textiles, Pabitra Margherita, has embarked on an official four-nation tour starting on 28th February 2025. This broad tour includes Uruguay, the Bahamas, Barbados, and Nicaragua. After visiting Uruguay from 28th February to 2nd March 2025, the Minister is set to conclude his visit to the Bahamas on 4th March 2025.
During his stay in Uruguay, Minister Margherita represented India at the swearing-in ceremony of President Yamandu Orsi and Vice President Carolina Cosse on 1st March 2025. As part of his visit, the Minister conveyed warm greetings and felicitations from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the newly formed government of Uruguay and expressed strong intentions to build upon the bilateral relations between India and Uruguay. He stated, “Honoured to represent India at the swearing-in ceremony of President H.E. Yamandu Orsi and Vice President Carolina Cosse. Conveyed warm greetings and felicitations from the Prime Minister of India to the new government of Uruguay. Congratulations to the people of Uruguay on this historic occasion. Look forward to collaborating with the new government to further strengthen the India-Uruguay partnership.”
In addition to that, Minister Margherita met with Fernanda Cardona, the designated Minister of Industry, Energy, and Mining of Uruguay. The two discussed various issues of mutual interest and explored avenues to deepen and diversify ties between the two nations. Earlier on Saturday, he paid a floral tribute to Mahatma Gandhi by placing a bouquet at his bust in Montevideo and engaged with the Indian diaspora there.
Following his visit to Uruguay, Minister Margherita left for the Bahamas on 2nd March 2025. This was a momentous occasion as it was the first-ever bilateral visit by an Indian Minister of State for External Affairs to the Bahamas. He was received by Member of Parliament and Parliamentary Secretary Jamahl Strachan. Expressing his keen interest to forge stronger bilateral and cultural ties, he remarked, “Looking forward to engaging with the leadership and the Indian community to explore new opportunities and strengthen our growing partnership and P2P ties.”
Minister Margherita interacted with the Indian community in the Bahamas and acknowledged their contributions to the nation’s development. He toured cultural and environmental sites with key national leaders to deepen mutual understanding and cooperation, particularly in areas of environmental conservation, climate resilience, and sustainable development.
Official bilateral talks were held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Office of the Prime Minister. Minister Margherita held extensive bilateral discussions with H.E. Fredrick Mitchell, Foreign Minister of the Bahamas. The talks covered the whole spectrum of India-The Bahamas relations, reinforcing regional and multilateral cooperation for a stronger Global South partnership. Minister Margherita then set off for a tour of the Village Road Retreat, Bahamas National Trust (BNT). He was hosted by the Hon. Zane Lightbourne, Minister of State for the Environment and Natural Resources, sharing their commitment to environmental sustainability and climate action.
The BNT is the Caribbean’s oldest non-governmental organisation (NGO), that plays a vital role in managing national parks and protecting the country’s natural resources. Minister Margherita’s visit emphasised India’s interest in supporting global environmental conservation efforts and strengthening cooperation between the two countries in biodiversity protection. As a symbolic gesture of friendship, Minister Margherita planted a Yellow Elder tree, the national flower of the Bahamas, in the gardens of the BNT. It also aligned with India’s “A Tree for Mother” campaign, launched by PM Modi on World Environment Day 2024. The Minister concluded his visit to the Bahamas by meeting with the Prime Minister of the Bahamas, H.E. Philip Davis. After conveying PM Modi’s warm greetings, the Indian representative expressed his interest in increasing cooperation in the fields of trade, digital tech, environment and culture, and Information and Communications Technology (ICT).
India’s visit to the Bahamas follows up on discussions between PM Modi and the Bahamas’ Prime Minister Philip Davis at the 2nd India-CARICOM Summit in Guyana in November 2024, where the leaders of the two countries stated their commitment to deepening diplomatic relations. The seven key areas of interest include capacity building, 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. The current visit is expected to enhance India’s warm ties with Caribbean countries and consequently open new avenues for collaboration.
