Shekhawat leaves for Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago

New Delhi, Nov 5 (UNI) Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat left here this morning on a week-long visit to Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago for discussions with the top leaders in these countries on various bilateral and international issues.

Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma, Delhi Lt Governor B L Joshi and senior officials were present at the airport to see off the Vice-President.

Mr Shekhawat, who will be in Guyana till November 8, will inaugurate the biggest and the most modern cricket stadium there.

The stadium is built with Indian assistance. The Cricket World Cup, to be held in March 2007, will be hosted in this stadium.

During the visit, India will also sign four agreements with Guyana, including those on cultural exchange, diplomatic exchange and extention of Line of Credit and a Bilateral Investment Protection Agreement (BIPA) with Trinidad and Tobago.

The cricket stadium at Guyana, called the Providence Stadium, is built with a grant of six million US dollar and a Concessional Line of Credit of 19 million US dollar provided by India.

It will have a 15,000 seating capacity and ''will be the biggest and the most modern stadium where world cup will be held in March 2007,'' an External Affairs Ministry spokesman said.

In Guyana the Vice-President will meet President Bharat Jagdeo, the Prime Minister and the Leader of Opposition.

During his stay at Guyana, the Vice-President will also inaugurate the Rabinder Nath Tagore Resource Centre which has been established at the University of Guyana. The Centre will have books, DVDs and other resource material on India.

In Trinidad and Tobago, his next destination, Mr Shekhawat will have a meeting with the President, the Prime Minister and Speaker of the House of Representatives.

The Vice-President who will be in Trinidad and Tobago from November 9-11, will have an overnight stopover in London while going and in Paris while returning home, officials said.

In both places, Indians constitute about 40 per cent of the total population with 300,000 in Guyana and 520,000 in Trinidad and Tobago.

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