JOLITA Butkeviciene, Director of the European Commission’s Directorate for Development and Cooperation (DEVCO) in Latin America and the Caribbean, on Wednesday declared herself very impressed with the progress of the EU-funded Mangrove Restoration Project. Butkeviciene made the remarks following an inspection of sea defences funded by the EU, and during a visit to the Mangrove Visitor’s Centre at Cove and John, East Coast Demerara, where she was briefed by Chairperson, Mrs. Annette Arjoon-Martins, on the activities of the project since its launch, as well as on its future plans.
After the briefing, Director Butkeviciene told the Project staffers that she and a team of senior EU officials had done a flyover of the sea defences and could not help but notice the mangrove trees.
“This is an incredible tree, and I think you are all doing a marvellous job in its restoration along the coast as a form of sea defence. Congratulations!” she told Chairperson Annette Arjoon-Martins during the interaction with the staff of the project.
This visit by the Director to the GMRP was one of several she had made to EU-funded projects over the past three days. Her itinerary included visits to the Ogle International Airport, the sugar packaging plant at Enmore, East Coast Demerara; and the flyover of the sea defences and the GMRP.
She was accompanied by   Head of Delegation of the European Union to Guyana, Ambassador Robert Kopecký, and senior officials of the EU’s local office.
Her visit, which ended yesterday, has been described as marking a historic milestone in EU/Guyana relations, as it is the first for a high level official from the EU Headquarters in Brussels under the 10th EDF programme cycle, which began in 2007.