PM Modi: Trinidad and Tobago's parliament reverberated with thunderous applause. PM Modi had to stop his address 23 times

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a joint session of the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago on Friday. During his speech, the entire Parliament reverberated with applause. The MPs applauded continuously, 28 times, forcing PM Modi to pause 23 times in the middle of his speech.

Prime Minister Modi said in his speech, 'I am proud to be the first Indian Prime Minister to speak to you in this iconic Red House. This historic red building has witnessed the struggle and sacrifice of the people of Trinidad and Tobago for freedom and dignity.' He said that both our nations emerged from colonial rule and wrote their stories using courage as their ink, democracy as their pen. Today, both countries stand as pillars of proud democracy and strength in the modern world.

'Democracy in India is not just a political system'

He said that democracy in India is not just a political system; for us, it is a way of life. We have a great heritage of thousands of years. There are some members in your Parliament too, whose ancestors came from the Indian state of Bihar.

Women-Led Development

PM Modi said that we are developing a new model of women-led development in India. Even during our presidency of the G20, we have presented the success of this model to the whole world. He said that from space to sports, from startups to science, from education to entrepreneurship, from aviation to armed forces, they are taking India towards a new future in various fields. A woman like you rose from a simple background to become our President. Two years ago, the Indian Parliament took a historic step, in which it decided to ensure 33 percent reservation for women in Parliament and state assemblies.

Honored with 'Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago'

He said, 'This morning, President Christine Kangaloo honored me with the country's highest national award 'Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago'. I humbly accept it on behalf of 1.4 billion Indians.'

India sees its development as a responsibility towards others

The Prime Minister said that India sees its development as a responsibility towards others. In this spirit, we are strengthening our relations with Trinidad and Tobago. Our trade will continue to grow. We will encourage businesses to invest more in this country. Our development partnership will expand.