The Commonwealth of Dominica bestowed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the country’s most esteemed award ‘Dominica Award of Honour’ during the ongoing India-CARICOM Summit at Marriott Hotel in Georgetown, Guyana on 20 November.
The award was presented by President of Dominica, Sylvanie Burton in the presence of Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit and other CARICOM leaders.
After conferring the award, President Burton and PM Skerrit, expressed their gratitude to PM Modi for his contributions to the small island nation.
President Sylvanie during her speech stated, “Under your leadership, the bonds between our two countries have strengthened considerably, with meaningful collaborations in healthcare, disaster relief, and capacity building.”
She further acknowledged PM Modi’s contribution of 70,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines to the Commonwealth of Dominica during COVID – 19. This collaboration helped the country and its citizens during the rough times.
President Burton also appreciated the medical and financial aid provided by India during natural disasters for the Caribbean nations.
PM of India was then endowed with Medal of Honour for his services to the Commonwealth of Dominica during the rough times for the nation.
The ceremony continued with Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit’s speech in which he acknowledged Prime Minister Modi for his help during the global pandemic.
Dominican PM in his speech expressed, “It is a tribute to your enduring legacy of leadership, your commitment to humanity, and the indelible mark you have left on nations, including ours, far beyond the shores”.
PM Skerrit additionally stated that his donation during the pandemic was a powerful act that shows what true leadership is and that it enabled them to protect their citizens and extend help to neighboring Caribbean countries.
He ended his oration by thanking PM Modi on behalf of the Government and the people of Dominica while hoping for an endless friendship between the nations.
Sharing the stage, PM Modi stated, “This honour is not only mine but of the 1400 million people of India.”
He further thanked President Burton for specially coming to Guyana to present him with this award.
PM Modi dedicated this prestigious award to the people of India and said the bond between India and Dominica is unbreakable.
“With deep humility and gratitude, I accept the ‘Dominica Award of Honour’. I dedicate it to my fellow Indians, who have always cherished India’s friendship with Commonwealth of Dominica”, stated PM Modi on his official Facebook post.
Moreover, during the India-CARICOM Summit, Guyana and Barbados also presented PM of India with national awards, marking a total of 19 international awards conferred to Modi.
