Dear Editor
THE Guyanese-American Chamber of Commerce (GACC) welcomes the announcement made on Tuesday, June 20th via a press release by Representative Eliot L. Engel (D-NY), ranking Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, and Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), the Chairman Emeritus of the Committee, of a new United States Government strategy on future engagement with the Caribbean, including Guyana.
The GACC fully supports the recommendation of the lawmakers that there be an increased commitment on the part of the United States to its relationship with the Caribbean region and its diaspora in America. The chamber is especially pleased that among the recommendations is “announcement of a trade and investment conference with the Caribbean, focused on increasing bilateral trade and improving the region’s investment climate and regulatory environment.”
The GACC wishes to express its sincere thanks to all the members of the U.S. Congress for their approval of the Bill (HR 4939) which was signed into law last December by then President Barack Obama. The GACC has worked closely with the Institute of Caribbean Studies (ICS) in its consultations with the U.S. Congress and the U.S. State Department over the past year, including contributing to a paper which outlined the recommendations of the Caribbean Diaspora. Later today and tomorrow, representatives of the chamber will join other Caribbean-American business and civic leaders in discussions with key members of the U.S. Congress, including Senator Marco Rubio, on the new strategy. These discussions are part of Caribbean-American Heritage Month Legislative Week being held in Washington, DC.
Regards
Wesley Kirton
President
GACC