Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat on Tuesday commenced a three-day tour of Guyana, heralding a new era of bilateral relations with the Caribbean nation.
Besides signing a number of agreements to bolster bilateral ties, Shekhawat will hold talks with President Bharrat Jagdeo, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds and Leader of the Opposition Robert Corbin to strengthen cooperation between the two countries.
Guyana has publicly declared its support in the United Nations to India's candidature for a permanent membership of the UN Security Council.
A highlight of Shekhawat's visit is the inauguration on November 8 of a cricket stadium financed by India, which has given a $6 million grant and a concessional Line of Credit of $19 million.
The 'Providence Cricket Stadium' having 15,000 seats will be used for the Cricket World Cup in March-April 2007. It has been built by a Mumbai-based construction company.
Shekhawat will also inaugurate the Rabindranath Tagore Resource Centre being established at the University of Guyana. The Centre will have books, DVDs and other resource materials on India.
During the visit, four bilateral agreements will be signed for cooperation in the areas of cultural exchanges, diplomatic facilities, academic exchanges and extension of Line of Credit.