External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday said that relations between India and Jamaica are characterized by “continuity and change” as he stressed that this relationship is rooted in a shared history, invigorated by current cooperation, and aims for a future filled with greater possibilities.
![Kingston [Jamaica]May 03 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar with Jamaican Foreign Minister Kamina J. Smith during his maiden visit to Jamaica in Kingston on Sunday. (@DrSJaishankar/X)](https://www.hindustantimes.com/ht-img/img/2026/05/03/400x225/ANI-20260503036-0_1777838845699_1777838855134.jpg "Kingston [Jamaica]May 03 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar with Jamaican Foreign Minister Kamina J. Smith during his maiden visit to Jamaica in Kingston on Sunday. (@DrSJaishankar/X)")
In an interview with the Jamaica Gleaner, Jaishankar also said that both countries “must continue to work together to build a deeper, more resilient partnership that works for both our peoples and contributes to a more just world.”
Jaishankar on Saturday arrived in Jamaica on his first visit to the Caribbean country to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries.
He said that the Indian community, which has been linked to Jamaica for 180 years, “gives our relations a special flavor.”
He also stated that for many Indians, the mention of Jamaica will immediately trigger thoughts of the cricket of Michael Holding and Chris Gayle, the music of Bob Marley and Jimmy Cliff, the athletics of Usain Bolt and Ellen Thompson Hirah, and the writings of cultural icon Miss Lou.
However, these engagements “reflect a deeper interconnectedness between our two countries that includes membership of the Global South and the Commonwealth.”
“India and Jamaica are pluralistic societies, political democracies and market economies,” Jaishankar said.
He added, “The relationship, in the end, is a story of continuity and change, based on a shared past, energized by current cooperation, and heading toward a future with greater possibilities.”
The story of India’s connection with Jamaica begins with the journey of Indian indentured laborers to this land in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
He said the arrival of the first Indians aboard the Blundell Hunter in 1845, landing at Old Harbor Bay, marked the beginning of this journey.
“Today, a community of about 70,000 people of Indian origin stands as a living bridge between our two countries,” he said.
“The Indo-Jamaican community is an active and dynamic force working to consolidate and develop our relationship. When our two countries established diplomatic relations in 1962, we formalized what our people had already established,” Jaishankar added.
“Their contribution continues to shape Jamaica’s social and economic life, connecting our communities in a way that diplomacy alone cannot achieve. That is why I will make visiting Old Harbor Bay and engaging with members of the Indian diaspora a starting point.”
On Sunday, he visited Old Port, where the first Indians arrived in Jamaica more than 180 years ago.
“Happy to visit Old Harbour, the historic site where the first Indians arrived in Jamaica over 180 years ago. I interacted with members of the Indian diaspora, and witnessed how they have preserved their culture, traditions and identity. Thank you to Ministers @Babsy_grange and @edmundbartlett6 for their gracious presence,” he posted on X.
The Minister also mentioned how Indian influences are woven into Jamaican life, from curry and roti to the celebration of festivals such as Diwali, Bagua and Hosay.
Noting that bilateral trade has exceeded US$100 million in recent years, the Minister said India’s strengths in pharmaceuticals, apparel, engineering goods, auto parts and digital technologies complement Jamaica’s aspirations to emerge as a logistics and connectivity hub in the Caribbean.
He said Jamaica’s engagement with India-led initiatives such as the Alliance for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure and the International Solar Alliance is another important dimension of cooperation between the two countries.
India has helped Jamaica in times of need. Last year, when Cyclone Melissa struck, India immediately sent humanitarian aid and disaster relief materials, including BHISM Compact Trauma Cubes, hygiene kits, food items, kitchen utensils, solar lights, medicines and medical equipment, power generators, and shelter support.
He said that India strongly supports the concerns of small island developing states on climate action and justice, and is working with them practically to achieve this end.
On people-to-people ties, Jaishankar said there was a strong case for deepening academic ties through student exchanges and strengthening people-to-people ties through tourism and sports.
Jaishankar arrived in Kingston on Saturday evening on the first leg of his nine-day tour of Jamaica, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago to strengthen India’s strategic and cultural ties with Caribbean countries.
