GUYANA is set to welcome a Chinese military delegation that would be coming to participate in the local phase of the biennial exercise which sees a military exchange between the Guyana Defence Force and the People’s Liberation Army.

This was disclosed by Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon at this week’s post-Cabinet press briefing at the Office of the President in Georgetown. The exercise is scheduled to take place between August 19 and 21.

The exchange is an ongoing activity between the two militaries and addresses multiple mutual defense sector concerns on the Government of Guyana side. “Quite a bit of the focus is on expanding linkages between the PLA (the People’s Liberation Army) and the Guyana Defence Force, a big focus on the training opportunities and the supply of defence sector goods and services.”
In similar vein, Dr. Luncheon said Guyana would be hosting the inaugural level meeting between Guyana and the Federative Republic of Brazil.

This inaugural engagement replaces the bilateral staff conference between the GDF and the Brazilian Army that has been an ongoing historical feature of the two neighbouring states. This activity would be inaugurated this year at the meeting that starts on August 26 and ends on 29.

Apart from the specifics of the neighbouring countries and their rather porous border, Dr. Luncheon said the generality of the engagement has to do with training opportunities and acquisition of military goods and services.

“And of course, we are all members of the Defense Council of UNASUR and geopolitical considerations have a major impact on the conduct of this relationship between the Government of Guyana through its military and the Government of Brazil through its military,” Luncheon said.

(By Telesha Ramnarine)