MINISTER of Natural Resources and the Environment, Robert Persaud, has held bilateral discussions with Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development of Colombia, Mr. Juan Gabriel Uribe.Minister Persaud was at the time attending the regional consultations for  Latin America and the Caribbean Region in preparation for the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Mercury in Colombia.The discussion centred on collaboration on similar familiar environmental challenges between Guyana and Colombia.

Noting Guyana’s progress in the area of sustainable forest management, Minister Uribe expressed an interest in Guyana’s Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) efforts which may be applicable to Colombia’s forest management efforts.
Meanwhile, Minister Persaud pledged to continue discussions and future collaboration with his Colombian counterpart in the areas of environmental management in the extractive sectors, such as mining and forestry. (GINA)