Governor General Her Excellency Dame Susan Dougan has been presented with the credentials of the High Commissioner of India to St. Vincent and the Grenadines His Excellency, Bala-chandran Shan-kar.
The presentation took place on December 29th 2021, during a ceremony at Government House, and was followed by a bilateral discussion.
High Commissioner Shan-kar is the Ambassador of India to Suriname, and concurrently accredited as High Commissioner to St Vincent and the Grenadines, with residence in Paramaribo,
The High Commissioner also paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, and discussed multi-lateral and bilateral matters.
High Commissioner Shan-kar also met with Health Minister St. Clair Prince, and discussed areas of bilateral co-operation.
And a courtesy call was also made to the Ambassador of Cuba to SVG and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps His Excellency Jose Manuel Lev-ya Ventura. The Indian High Commissioner, accompanied by the Honorary Consul of India to SVG, Junior Bacchus, visited the landing place of the first batch of 260 Indian indentured labourers from Madras who arrived in 1861 on board the Travancore.
And on Sunday January 2nd, High Commissioner, Shankar, accompanied by the Honorary Consul of India to SVG, Junior Bacchus visited the Chateaubelair Agro Processing and Training Centre in North Leeward, which is being renovated with Indian financial assistance.
He was received by Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Sustainable Development and Culture, Carlos James, who is also the Parliamentary Representative for the area.
Minister James explained that the Centre would train the unemployed youth and provide jobs in packaging locally grown farm produce and also in the hospitality industry.
The building is 75% complete. The Centre is part of a proposed integrated complex consisting of a deep water port, administrative block, fish processing and tourism industries.
Minister James also hosted a lunch in the Indian High Commissioner’s honour.
