ST JOHN’S, Antigua and Barbuda — Guyana and India have signed three agreements covering development projects, small-scale manufacturing and digital payments, as the two countries look to deepen their cooperation.

Guyana’s President Dr Irfaan Ali and India’s External Affairs Minister Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar signed the agreements on Wednesday during a meeting on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua and Barbuda.

The agreements include Indian grant assistance for Quick Impact Projects, support for the supply and installation of manufacturing projects for micro and small enterprises, and cooperation on digital public infrastructure.

The digital agreement will also provide for work towards a system in Guyana similar to India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI), which facilitates digital payments.

During the meeting, the two officials reviewed relations between their countries and discussed opportunities to expand cooperation in areas of mutual interest.

India also announced a new US$500 million Line of Credit for Guyana, intended to support the country’s development priorities and infrastructure projects.

The agreements and financing announcement add to the countries’ ongoing efforts to strengthen economic and technical cooperation.