Guyana: India has never moved forward with the idea of expansionism and has always stayed away from the idea of resource-capturing, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday, stating that this is not time for conflict but to identify and remove conditions that create conflicts.

Addressing a Special Session of the Guyanese Parliament, PM Modi said the relations betwen India and Guyana are very deep and it is a relation of soil, sweat, diligence.

“We have never moved forward with the idea of expansionism. We have always stayed away from the idea of resource capturing. I believe whether it is space or sea, this should be the subject of universal cooperation, not universal conflict. For the world also, this is not time for conflict, this is the time to identify the conditions that create conflicts and remove it,” he said.

Referring to global challenges, he said the best approach to move forward is ‘democracy first and humanity first’.

“The kind of situation that is there before the world, the best way to move forward is ‘democracy first and humanity first’. The idea of ‘democracy first’ teaches us to take everyone along and move forward with the development of everyone. The idea of ‘Humanity first’ decides the direction of our decisions,” he said.

“When decisions are taken based on the idea of ‘humanity first’, results will be in the interest of humanity…for the formation of an inclusive society, there is no other bigger medium than democracy…both the countries have together shown that democracy is not just a system, we have shown that democracy is in our DNA, vision, conduct and behaviour,” he added.

PM Modi said that in the last 200-250 years, India and Guyana have witnessed similar kind similar kinds of struggle.

“Today both countries are strengthening democracy in the world. That’s why, in the Guyanese Parliament, I am greeting you all on behalf of 140 crore people of India,” he said.

“The relation of India and Guyana is very deep, it is the relation of soil, sweat, diligence. Around 180 years ago, an Indian came to Guyana land and after that, both in happiness and sadness, India and Guyana’s relation has been filled with intimacy,” he added.

PM Modi arrived in Guyana on the third leg of his three-nation visit. It is the first visit to Guyana by an Indian Prime Minister in over 50 years.

During this visit, PM Modi joined leaders from the Caribbean partner countries for the 2nd India-CARICOM Summit.