President David Granger on Wednesday told several bilateral partners that Guyana is looking to strengthen relations with them on various fronts including tackling the global phenomenon of climate change.
This was said at the accreditation ceremony of three new foreign diplomats to serve as non-resident Ambassadors and High Commissioner to Guyana. New diplomats from Portugal, Sierra Leone and Belgium handed over their Letters of Credence to the Guyanese Head of State at the Ministry of Presidency.
President Granger lauded the existing relationship Guyana shares with each of the countries and highlighted common areas of interests including the impacts global warming have on economies and environments.
“It is my expectation that our shared commitment to confronting the challenges of climate change will contribute to the strengthening of our bilateral relations during your tenure as Ambassador(s). It is my hope, also, that your appointment(s) will advance increased cooperation in the fields of culture and renewable energy,” he said to the Ambassador of the Portuguese Republic, Carlos Amaro.
The Head of State went on to point out to the new Ambassador of Belgium, Hugo Verbist, that while the two countries are faced with the challenges and devastating impacts of climate change, Guyana is particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels given the concentration of its economy and population in the low-lying coastal zone.
On this note, he said “These vulnerabilities necessitate interventions to ensure sustainable livelihood as highlighted in the National Energy-Climate Plan… Guyana looks forward to working closely with Belgium, at both the bilateral and multilateral levels, to ensure international peace and security and to encourage increased global efforts to address the challenges of environmental degradation and global warming”.
Nevertheless, President Granger outlined to the newly-accredited High Commissioner of Sierra Leone, Sidique Abou-Bakarr Wai, that his Guyana’s Green State Development Strategy (GSDS) will prepare the country to respond more effectively to the challenges posed by global warming and rising sea levels.
“Guyana is in transition towards the establishment of a ‘green state’ which will see more emphasis being placed on the protection of our environment, the preservation of our biodiversity, the promotion of renewable energy and the adoption of practical measures to ensure climate adaptation,” he posited.
Meanwhile, the foreign diplomats all committed to further strengthen the bilateral relation with Guyana, outlining specific areas of interest to capitalise on.
For Sierra Leone, High Commissioner Wai said that the two governments will continue to work together in the areas such as tourism, agriculture, mining education, energy and many others for the benefit of both countries.
Meanwhile, the Ambassador of Portugal is confident that collaboration will be strengthened in the fields of renewable energy, tourism and infrastructure, among others.
“Portuguese companies established in neighbouring countries have already expressed their interests in exploring, with local partners, business opportunities in Guyana,” Ambassador Amaro stated.
Further, Ambassador Verbist posited that Guyana’s future promises to be prosperous and bright with the economy, greatly from the new opportunities arising from the petroleum sector.
“Oil production has started and will continue to grow exponentially in the coming months and years. Good management of this additional resource will no doubt give a big boost to the further development of Guyana, whereby fair distribution of revenues will ensure prosperity for all the people in this country, and I hope that Belgium can also contribute to that,” the diplomat stated.
Guyana established diplomatic ties with Portugal in December 1978, with Sierra Leone in October 1974 and with Belgium in June 1971.
