The relationship between the governments of Guyana and Canada was highlighted last week during a welcome reception for the new Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr Nicole Giles at her Bel Air residence. Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, after extending greetings from President Donald Ramotar, wished the new high commissioner well during her sojourn in Guyana.
He spoke of the thousands of Guyanese and their children who are happy to make Canada their home. “I can sense your eagerness to maintain the momentum of our programme of cooperation, and to seek out new initiatives upon which we can embark.
There will be many more opportunities for us to elaborate on these, and so I just like to reiterate, on this occasion, the importance with which we view our relations with Canada, as well as the commitment of the government of Guyana to work with you to strengthen these, during your tour of duty,” the prime minister said.
People-to-people links
Dr Giles said the Canada-Guyana bilateral relationship is grounded in robust people-to-people links, shared economic and trade interests, and strong diplomatic and development cooperation, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported.
“Guyana has incredible potential and is one of the strongest economies in the Caribbean. This is especially true given the rich mineral deposits and prospective discovery of oil.
Canada has sought to develop a partnership with Guyana to support the maximisation of its potential.
I intend to build on the successful collaboration that Canada and Guyana have already established and to seek new areas that are mutually beneficial to our countries,” she stated.
The high commissioner explained that Canada is keen on sharing its experiences in the development of the extractive sector.
“I believe that given Canada’s experience and investments in this sector, it is critical that we continue to support capacity building, and to offer solutions for challenges that we both face.
A key example is the area of training for the mining sector, where we support two distinct partnerships involving the Canadian College of North Atlantic: one is with the ministry of natural resources and the Environment to establish the “mining school” in Guyana, the other is with the TVET Council and the Linden Technical Institute to strengthen training for heavy equipment operation and maintenance.”
Dr Giles added that the intention was to build on the successful collaboration that Canada and Guyana have already established, and to seek new areas that are mutually beneficial to both countries. (Excerpted from Guyana Times)
