Kingston

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has reaffirmed India’s commitment to supporting Jamaica in its post-disaster recovery efforts while emphasising the growing strategic partnership between the two countries.

The remarks came after Jaishankar held discussions with Jamaica’s Foreign Minister Kamina Johnson Smith and other cabinet members, during which both sides carried out a comprehensive review of bilateral cooperation and explored new avenues for collaboration.

Jaishankar, who arrived in Kingston on Saturday as part of the first leg of his nine-day visit to the Caribbean, said India was proud to stand by Jamaica during its recovery from Hurricane Melissa and continue extending humanitarian assistance.

As part of this support, India formally handed over one of the consignments of 10 BHISHM cubes under the Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita and Maitri, aimed at strengthening emergency medical preparedness. He also announced that India is in the process of supplying 30 dialysis units to further enhance Jamaica’s healthcare infrastructure.

The minister noted that the latest assistance follows India’s earlier humanitarian relief operation, under which more than 20 tonnes of essential supplies were delivered to Jamaica through an Indian Air Force aircraft in the aftermath of the hurricane.

In a social media post, Jaishankar said discussions with the Jamaican leadership covered a broad range of sectors including education, healthcare, agriculture, digital technology, tourism, sports, entertainment, infrastructure development, capacity building and multilateral cooperation.

He added that both nations also discussed expanding strategic cooperation in areas such as defence and security, digital health systems, agriculture, education and infrastructure.

Following the official meetings, Jaishankar interacted with leading business and industry representatives in Jamaica, where he underlined the importance of stronger economic engagement at a time when countries are increasingly looking for dependable global partners.

He described Jamaica as an emerging logistics and commercial gateway to the Caribbean region and said India sees significant opportunities for expanding trade, investment and broader regional business cooperation.

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Jaishankar also thanked Jamaica’s Industry Minister Aubyn Hill for facilitating dialogue with the business community aimed at deepening economic ties between the two countries.