India on Wednesday underscored Jamaica’s rising strategic and economic significance in the Caribbean, with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar describing the island nation as a “growing logistics hub and gateway” for trade, business and investment in the region.“India also recognised Jamaica’s growing role as a logistics hub and a gateway to the Caribbean for trade, business, and investment. And these were infact the very subjects which were the focus of the call that I had on Prime Minister Holness,” Jaishankar said while addressing a joint press conference in Kingston after talks with his Jamaican counterpart Kamina Johnson Smith.Jaishankar’s visit — the first-ever bilateral trip by an Indian External Affairs Minister — marked a “very important step” in elevating India-Jamaica ties to a higher trajectory.The two sides held “comprehensive and substantive” discussions covering the entire gamut of bilateral relations, identifying new areas of cooperation while pushing for effective implementation of agreements in digital transformation, cultural exchange, sports and digital payments.Highlighting development cooperation as a key pillar, Jaishankar pointed to the successful completion of a rural livelihoods project in Kitson Town, supported by India under the India-UN Development Partnership Fund. The initiative has directly benefited over 200 individuals and impacted thousands more in the community. Discussions are also underway on establishing an artisan empowerment hub in Jamaica under the India-CARICOM framework.Reaffirming India’s role as a reliable partner in times of crisis, Jaishankar said New Delhi continues to support Jamaica’s recovery following Hurricane Melissa. India has supplied relief material, deployed medical teams, and is now providing dialysis units, emergency response “BHISHM cubes”, fishing boats and GPS equipment to bolster local resilience.The talks also focused on expanding cooperation in defence, healthcare, agriculture, education, digitalisation and infrastructure. India has significantly scaled up its capacity-building initiatives, increasing training slots for Jamaican defence personnel and offering additional scholarships and technical training opportunities.The ministers reaffirmed alignment on global issues, including support for reformed multilateralism, climate justice and the concerns of Small Island Developing States. Jamaica reiterated its backing for India’s candidature for a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council for 2028-29.Both countries strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and called for early finalisation of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism.Jaishankar also highlighted the cultural and historical linkages between the two nations, noting the contributions of the Indian diaspora in Jamaica and the growing popularity of Yoga and Ayurveda. He announced a financial contribution for commemorating 181 years of the arrival of Indians in Jamaica and paid tribute at the Indian Arrival Memorial.The visit also saw symbolic gestures, including the unveiling of an electronic scoreboard at Sabina Park, gifted by India, underscoring the enduring cricketing ties between the two nations.“Overall, this visit marks a significant step towards building a stronger, more dynamic and mutually beneficial partnership,” Jaishankar said, expressing confidence that the outcomes would deepen trust and cooperation between the two countries.