Prime Minister Narendra Modi will mark a special occasion on his visit to Guyana later on Friday when he addresses a Special Session of the Guyanese Parliament, marking yet another significant moment in his global diplomatic outreach.
PM Modi is visiting Guyana as a part of his three-nation tour wherein he previously was in Nigeria and then Brazil. His visit to Guyana becomes significant as he is the first Indian PM to visit the country in over 50 years.
During his visit he will also address the Guyanese Parliament. This will be the 14th such instance when PM Modi will speak on behalf of the people of India in the Parliaments of foreign nations.
He holds the distinction of being the Indian PM with the highest number of addresses to foreign Parliaments. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had delivered 7 such addresses while PM Modi has delivered 14 addresses to foreign Parliaments.
Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had addressed foreign legislatures four times, while former PM Jawaharlal Nehru did it three times. Rajiv Gandhi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee delivered two such addresses while others like Morarji Desai and PV Narsimha Rao addressed only once.
Over the years, PM Modi has delivered speeches in legislative chambers across the world, from the Americas to Europe, Africa, Australia and Asia. His addresses, which transcend continents, are a testament to India’s growing influence on the global stage.
PM has addressed the joint session of the US Congress twice, once in 2016 and then again in 2023.
In 2014, the PM addressed the Parliaments of Australia and Fiji and also addressed the British Parliament in 2015. In Africa, PM Modi addressed the National Assembly of Mauritius in 2015 and the Parliament of Uganda in 2018.
In Asia, the PM addressed the Parliament of the joint session of the Bhutanese Parliament and Nepal Constituent Assembly in 2014, the Parliaments of Sri Lanka, Mongolia and Afghanistan in 2015, and the Parliament of Maldives in 2019.
Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred with the highest national award of Guyana, ‘The Order of Excellence’ during his visit to nation on the final leg of his three-nation tour. The Award was presented to him by Guyanese President Mohamed Irfaan Ali. The Order of Excellence, was awarded to PM Modi for his exceptional service to the global community, statesmanship and contribution to deepening the India-Guyana ties.
The Commonwealth of Dominica also conferred its highest national honour, the Dominica Award of Honour, upon PM Modi. President Sylvanie Burton presented the award to PM Modi in recognition of his efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic and his dedication to strengthening the relationship between India and Dominica.
