Foreign Minister receives courtesy call from Ambassador of Ireland

The Honourable Hugh Hilton Todd, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation met with His Excellency Seán Hoy, Non-Resident Ambassador of Ireland to Guyana.

During the meeting, the Foreign Minister recalled President Ali’s ‘One Guyana Initiative’ which is focused on inclusivity and involvement of all stakeholders. The Minister also spoke of the transformational agenda being promoted for Guyana and added that Government intends to utilise the financial returns from the oil and gas sector to diversify the economy by investing in areas of education, health care, alternative energy mix, and job creation. In addition, the Minister also highlighted the lead role Guyana has taken in promoting the Agriculture Agenda and Food Security in CARICOM.

Minister Todd said that Guyana is open for business and that the Government is working towards ensuring that there is a policy and legislative framework and an environment that is conducive for business.

The Foreign Minister provided an update on the case before the International Court of Justice with respect to the Guyana Venezuela Border Controversy and underscored the fact that Guyana has a strong legal position based on the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award.

In turn, the Ambassador said that the Government of Ireland was very successful in engaging the Irish Diaspora and offered to share experiences learned in maximising the value of Diaspora engagement. The Foreign Minister welcomed the idea and informed the Ambassador that Guyana is pursuing an enhanced Diaspora Policy Guyana, with emphasis on engaging the diaspora with a view to attracting investment and skills, among other things.

The Minister and the Ambassador agreed that both countries would continue to work towards the further enhancement of diplomatic relations and cooperation for the benefit of the peoples of Guyana and Ireland.