India, Trinidad & Tobago Ink Bilateral Air Services Agreement

India and Republic of Trinidad & Tobago have agreed to encourage improved bilateral relationships in various sectors including Tourism and Hospitality.  As a first step the two countries have concluded Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) to improve air connectivity between the two nations.  

Air connectivity between the two is expected to improve travel and tourism relationship. BASA was signed coinciding with the recent state visit of Kamla Persad Bissesar, the Prime Minister of Trinidad & Tobago to India.  

Welcoming his Trinidad & Tobago counterpart, Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India reiterated India’s commitment to augment the bilateral trade and investment relations with the Caribbean republic.  

He said that the present scale of business relationships between the two countries was not corresponding to the “excellent political and people-to-people relations” that the two countries enjoy.  

He said that the Joint Inter-governmental Commission met in November 2011 has identified areas like renewable energy, IT & Communications, hospitality, health, tourism, and health and pharmaceuticals as thrust areas for building mutual relationships between the two countries.

The Indian Prime Minister also thanked the Trinidad & Tobago administration in waiving off Visa requirement for Indian passport holders. “This will help in further development of our trade and tourism links. The Air Services Agreement that has been concluded will also help strengthen these contacts,” Dr. Singh said. Dr. Rupert T Griffith, Minister of Tourism, Trinidad & Tobago, who visited India last year, had evinced interest in Indian investments in the Caribbean island to develop Medical Tourism infrastructure.