India’s President, Ram Nath Kovind, is now in Jamaica for a four-day official visit, becoming the first head of state from the Asian country to visit.
Kovind arrived in Kingston on Sunday and was greeted at the Norman Manley International airport by a delegation of State and government officials led by Governor General, Sir Patrick Allen, and Prime Minister Andrew Holness.
The visit of President Kovind, accompanied by his wife, Savita Kovind, and other delegates, coincides with Jamaica’s 60th Independence anniversary celebrations and also marks 60 years of diplomatic relations between Jamaica and India.
Jamaica’s official welcome party also comprised Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Kamina Johnson Smith; Minister of Education and Youth, Fayval Williams; Indian High Commissioner to Jamaica, Rungsung Masakui; President of the Senate, Senator Thomas Tavares-Finson; Chief Justice, Bryan Sykes; Chief of Defence Staff, Rear Admiral Antonette Wemyss-Gorman; Mayor of Kingston, Senator Delroy Williams; Leader of the Opposition, represented by Lisa Hanna; Chief of State Protocol, Ambassador Sandra Grant Griffiths; and Lead Medical Doctor, Dr. Nicole Lowe Fahmi.
A government statement said during the visit, the Indian President will pay a courtesy call on the governor general, meet with Prime Minister Holness and engage in other activities including laying a wreath at the shrine of Jamaica’s first National Hero Marcus Garvey. He will also meet with the Indian community in Jamaica before his departure on May 18.
CMC/
