GUYANA’S foreign relations matters were brought to the fore on the fourth day of the 2013 National Budget debate last Friday, with APNU’s Member of Parliament Debra Backer focusing on Guyana’s foreign relations, diplomatic missions, Diaspora issues, re-migration and border matters, among others.

In her presentation Backer recalled Minister in the Ministry of Finance, Juan Edghill’s comments about the government developing a code of conduct for the ministers, and called for the government side to undertake polygraph tests.
In response, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett affirmed that the government side is ready to do so, alongside the Opposition members. That rebuttal was met with loud banging of tables by the government side.
Before moving on to her presentation, Minister Rodrigues-Birkett congratulated Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh for his delivery of a people’s budget.
“Guyana does not exist in a vacuum and the global challenges that confront us all today would certainly have an effect on Guyana and we must not dismiss this lightly… so as we assess our own progress and indeed the challenges that we still have to confront we must know what is happening around us… in fact many of us follow the news around the world and are privy to the difficult times being experienced in several countries,” she noted.
Minister Rodrigues-Birkett illustrated that countries in Europe and the Caribbean are experiencing challenges, and recalled that the overall growth in the Caribbean in 2012 was less than one percent with three economies posing negative growth over that period.
“Mr. Speaker, our dear land of Guyana was one of only four CARICOM countries that recorded positive growth… let me be clear we do not bask in the unfortunate situation of many of our Caribbean neighbours, we stand in solidarity with them because if we are to make this CARICOM integration work, all of our economies need to be strong,” she emphasised.
Regardless of the challenges, the ECLAC 2012-2013 Report on the Caribbean economies states that Guyana, Belize and Suriname will continue to record substantial growth rate influenced by the high prices of gold and agricultural exports.
“In terms of the projections of all the Caribbean countries Guyana is projected to grow the most this year at 4.9 percent, the Caribbean is projected to grow at 2.1 percent and so, I believe, if we all put our shoulders to the wheel, we can achieve this,” she indicated.
With regards to the Working Group on Infrastructure brought up by MP Backer, the minister stated that on Thursday the second meeting between members of the state agencies of Brazil and Guyana was held in Guyana and discussions were centred on projects that will be executed by the two countries, namely the Linden/Lethem road, a hydro project and the deep water port. The group is preparing proposals to be submitted to the Guyanese and Brazilian Presidents in June.
In relation to matters regarding the border crossing, specifically with Suriname, the minister explained that the government is ready to move with the issue, but measures would have to be taken by both countries simultaneously for it to work. As such discussions have commenced with the Surinamese authorities.
The minister also informed the House that a Border Commission has been set up and Ambassador Rudy Collins has been appointed to head that commission on the Guyana side.
With regards to Venezuela, she noted that while everyone was saddened by the death of former President Hugo Chavez, she has no doubt that Guyana’s relations under President Nicolas Maduro will continue to flourish. “Guyana is willing to work with any government of Venezuela to work for the advancement of our two peoples,” she declared.
Int’l accolades
On the CARICOM scene, the minister highlighted that Guyana leads in terms of meeting its obligations regarding the Treaty of Chaguaramas. Apart from that achievement, she also listed some international accolades Guyanese has achieved – the proposed appointment of Bayney Karan to the position of Assistant Secretary General in the Organisation of American States, Guyana being elected as Chair of the Financial Committee at the level of the United Nations, Vice-Presidency of the UNICEF Executive Board and the Second Review Conference on Small Arms and Light Weapons, installation of Sharon Austin as the Coordinator for Indigenous Affairs within the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organisation (ACTO) and former President Bharrat Jagdeo being appointed as the Chair of the Global Green Growth Institute.