PM Modi to receive Dominica's highest honour for Covid-19 aid, bilateral ties

The award also recognises India's support for Dominica in healthcare, education and information technology under Prime Minister Modi's leadership, as well as his role in promoting climate resilience-building initiatives.

In Short

• 70,000 AstraZeneca doses sent to Dominica in 2021
• India's support in healthcare, IT, climate resilience noted
• India-CARICOM Summit to discuss further collaboration

The Commonwealth of Dominica will bestow its highest national award, the Dominica Award of Honour, upon PM Narendra Modi, in recognition of his contributions to Dominica during the COVID-19 pandemic and his dedication to strengthening the partnership between the two countries, the Dominica government said.

The President of the Commonwealth of Dominica Sylvanie Burton will confer the award during the upcoming India-CARICOM Summit scheduled to take place in Georgetown, Guyana, from November 19 to 21, a statement by the office of the Dominican prime minister said.

"In February 2021, Prime Minister Modi supplied Dominica with 70,000 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine — a generous gift which enabled Dominica to extend support to its Caribbean neighbours," the statement said.

The award also recognises India's support for Dominica in healthcare, education and information technology under Prime Minister Modi's leadership as well as his role in promoting climate resilience-building initiatives and sustainable development on a global level, the statement read.

The statement quoted Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit as saying that the award is an expression of Dominica's gratitude for Prime Minister Modi's solidarity with Dominica and the wider region.

"Prime Minister Modi has been a true partner to Dominica, particularly during our time of need amid a global health crisis. It is an honour to present him with Dominica's highest national accolade as a symbol of our gratitude for his support and as a reflection of the strong ties between our countries. We look forward to building on this partnership and advancing our shared vision of progress and resilience," he said.

In accepting the offer of the award, Prime Minister Modi highlighted the significance of global cooperation in addressing challenges like climate change and geopolitical conflicts, and affirmed India's commitment to working alongside Dominica and the Caribbean in addressing these issues, the statement underlined.

President Burton and Prime Minister Skerrit will be present at the India-CARICOM Summit, where key priorities and new opportunities for collaboration between India and the member states of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) will be discussed.

With inputs from PTI