The Ambassador of India to Suriname, currently accredited as High Commissioner to St Vincent and the Grenadines, Shankar Balachandran presented his credentials to Governor-General Dame Susan Dougan on December 29 at a ceremony at Government House.

Following the ceremony, the ambassador who resides in Suriname also called on Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Ralph Gonsalves during which they discussed multi-lateral and bilateral matters, a release states.The High Commissioner also met and held talks with Minister of Health, St Clair Prince, and called on the ambassador of Cuba to SVG and Dean of the diplomatic corps, Jose Manuel Levya Ventura.

Accompanied by the Honorary Consul of India to SVG, Junior Bacchus, the High Commissioner then visited the landing place of the first batch of the 260 Indian indentured labourers from Madras, India who arrived in 1861 on board the Travancore.