Guyana/Jamaica joint commission to be reactivated – President Granger
DPI, GUYANA, Friday, July 6, 2018
After being dormant for some time, President David Granger today said the Guyana-Jamaica Joint Commission will be reactivated and will form the platform for areas of cooperation between the two countries.
The Head of State made the comments on the sideline of the 39th Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM in Jamaica. He was commenting on his meeting with Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness.
According to President Granger, the fruitful meeting with Jamaica has opened avenues for development between Guyana, Jamaica and the rest of the Caribbean.
“Coming out of the Goulding report there is a new energy in Caribbean relations. We are looking at the perpetuation of the Caribbean relations and we have accepted that we need to pay interest on things like food security. Guyana has land space.”
According to the Head of State, the Caribbean can come together to provide food security for all.
“I’m confident the Caribbean could produce all the food that is needed for the hotel industry and all,” President Granger said.
The meeting also discussed Guyana’s emerging oil and gas sector and the economic prospects it will have on the Caribbean. Guyana is on the verge of promising petroleum industry. President Granger said he is exploring the possibilities of utilizing resource to enrich the Caribbean’s access to energy.
The leaders also examined public security threats of Trafficking in Persons (TIP), terrorisms and money laundering on the Caribbean.
Following that meeting, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge signed two agreements with Chile’s Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs Alfonso Silva Navarro. One is for the teaching of Spanish in Guyana and the other, an agreement for enhanced cooperation in the energy and natural resources. Minister Greenidge reminded that Guyana and the Caribbean have over the years been developing close relationships with the Spanish speaking nation.
“We have been working on areas of cooperation such as the teaching of languages Chilean professors have come down to Georgetown to teach Spanish to even officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
The parties also discussed the possibility of Guyana taking advantage of Chile’s vast experience in the mining sector.
Guyana will engage in more bilateral talks before the end of the conference.
By: Alexis Rodney.
Images: Kwasie Wishart.