President Bharrat Jagdeo in discussion with Sustainable Development, Forest Economy and Environment Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Henri Djombo, Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud and Amerindian Affairs Minister Pauline Sukhai
Henri Djombo, minister in the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo with responsibility for sustainable development, forest economy and environment, returned to Guyana with an invitation for President Bharrat Jagdeo to attend, at the end of May, a special summit for regions with tropical rainforests.
The invitation came after the minister met the Guyanese head of state whilst at State House to witness the installation of the new Secretary General of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), Maria Emma Majia Velez.
According to a Government Information Agency (GINA) release, Jagdeo was accompanied by Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud, who also received the invitation, and by staff of the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC), as efforts continue to strengthen ties between Guyana and the Congo Basin. Minister Persaud said President Jagdeo has acceded to the request to attend the summit, which Minister Djombo brought on behalf of Congolese President Joseph Kabila, and he will also be making a presentation at the summit.
On May 10, the Congolese forestry minister met officials of the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) to discuss ways in which to cooperate, particularly in the area of forestry, signalling interest in Guyana’s chainsaw milling project and the Forestry Training Centre. The Congolese minister was very impressed and encouraged by the forestry-related initiatives of the government of Guyana, noting that the local chainsaw project is the kind of initiative that should be encouraged in his country, given its prospects in providing access to markets.
The use of chainsaw in the Congo to convert logs to lumber for the domestic market and poor segments of the population has never been explored, resulting in high prices for wood and wood products.
Last July, the Congolese minister and team were on a three- day fact-finding mission to Guyana, and were introduced to Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy. The cooperation between Guyana and the Congo was encouraged after President Bharrat Jagdeo met Congo’s President Joseph Kabila during the Oslo Climate and Forest Conference in May, and they agreed that it is necessary to share experiences.
