Georgetown: Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred with Dominica’s top honour for his contributions to the Caribbean country during the COVID-19 pandemic and his efforts to strengthen the relationship between India and Dominica. PM Modi, who is in Guyana on the last leg of his three-nation visit, was conferred the “Dominica Award of Honour” by President Sylvanie Burton of Dominica during the India-CARICOM Summit in Georgetown on Wednesday in the presence of Dominica’s Prime Minister Dr Roosevelt Skerrit.

After receiving the award, PM Modi thanked the people of India for this honour. He shared the pleasure on social media, saying, “I dedicate this award to the 140 crore people of India.”

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) explained that the award recognises PM Modi’s leadership during the pandemic, especially when India provided Dominica with 70,000 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in February 2021. This support helped Dominica assist its Caribbean neighbours during the pandemic.

The award also acknowledges India’s contributions to Dominica’s healthcare, education, and information technology sectors, as well as India’s role in promoting climate change solutions and sustainable development globally.

Prime Minister Skerrit of Dominica expressed gratitude for Prime Minister Modi’s support and said the award symbolises the country’s appreciation for his help and solidarity with Dominica and the wider Caribbean region. In his acceptance speech, the Indian Prime Minister highlighted the importance of working together to address global issues like climate change and geopolitical tensions and reaffirmed India’s commitment to supporting Dominica and the Caribbean.

Notably, the award in Dominica is one of many international honours PM Modi has received, with Guyana and Barbados also set to confer their top awards on him, bringing his total number of international awards to 19.