Joint Statement by the Honourable Hugh Hilton Todd, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, and His Excellency Roberto Álvarez, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Dominican Republic

1.   Honourable Hugh Hilton Todd, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana held bilateral talks in Georgetown with His Excellency Roberto Álvarez, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Dominican Republic, during an official visit by the latter on September 6 and 7, 2022.

2. The two Foreign Ministers and their respective delegations engaged in discussions on a range of bilateral, regional and hemispheric issues.  They reflected on the challenges facing the wider Latin America and the Caribbean region currently, including, the socio-economic and political challenges, climate change, food security, energy security, and transnational organised crime, among others.

3.   They highlighted the values shared by the two countries, including respect for democracy and the rule of law, the protection and promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms, adherence to international law, the respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, and the peaceful settlement of disputes.

4.   The Ministers committed to the strengthening of the relations between their two countries. In this context, they took note of the change of concurrent diplomatic accreditation of the Dominican Republic to the Government of Guyana to its Embassy in Port of Spain as well as the granting of Agrément for the appointment of His Excellency Mr. Wellington Dario Bencosme Castanos, as non-resident Ambassador of the Dominican Republic to Guyana.  Minister Todd welcomed the decision conveyed by Minister Alvarez of his Government’s intention to open a diplomatic mission in Georgetown in the immediate future

5. The two Foreign Ministers signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a Joint Committee on Trade Promotion and Technical Cooperation aimed at boosting economic and commercial ties between the two countries. Under  the  MOU Guyana  and the  Dominican  Republic will  foster  mutual cooperation, explore opportunities, build capacity, facilitate collaboration and exchange experiences in the areas such as, energy and mining, logistic services, maritime  and  air  transport  services,  tourism,  agriculture,  manufacturing

services,   investment   promotion,   and   private   sector   development   and collaboration.

6. The Ministers further committed to the deepening of their diplomatic engagement at the regional and international levels.

7. The Foreign Ministers expressed their profound concern over the grave situation of violence generated by the numerous gangs that plague the citizenry and make normal life in Haiti impossible. They stressed the need for a Haitian- owned resolution to the crisis and welcomed the agreement of the Heads of Government of CARICOM for a high-level political mission to Haiti. They agreed to work together for the effective and full implementation of the terms of UN Security Council Resolution 2645 on Haiti in consultation with allied countries and regional organizations.

8.   The Ministers exchanged views on regional developments and on the agendas of  several  hemispheric and regional  bodies including  the  Organization  of American  States (OAS),  which  will  convene  its 52nd  General  Assembly  in October in Peru, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), and the Association of Caribbean States (ACS), which is expected to hold its Ninth Summit in 2023. They underscored the value of membership to these bodies which provide a space for dialogue among countries of the hemisphere and serve as a platform for engagement with the wider international community on matters of concern to the region.

9.   They committed to work towards strengthening the regional and hemispheric bodies, assuring the fullest possible representation of and responsiveness to the interests and the needs of the membership, particularly of small states in the interest of the development and well-being of their peoples.

10. The Foreign Ministers acknowledged the work ongoing in the context of the high-level committees on food security, energy security and finance, involving their two countries and Member States of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), and the United States of America established following the Ninth Summit of the Americas held in Los Angeles, California in June 2022. They noted the progress achieved in the committee on food security jointly co- chaired by Guyana, the Dominican Republic and the United States.

11. They  noted  that  the  US-Caribbean  collaboration  has  opened  a  door  for enhanced dialogue and collaboration between Guyana and the Dominican Republic as well as between CARICOM and the Dominican Republic and agreed to work towards strengthening the partnership between the two sides in their mutual interest.

12. Minister  Álvarez  expressed  his  gratitude  to  Minister  Todd  for  the  warm welcome and the hospitality extended to him and his delegation during the visit.

Issued in Georgetown on September 7, 2022.