–with appointment of new non-resident ambassador to the Hague

THE commitment to strengthen mutually beneficial relations between Guyana and the Kingdom of The Netherlands was renewed on Wednesday when Ambassador David Hales presented his Letter of Credence to His Majesty King Willem-Alexander at the Noordeinde Palace in the Hague.
Ambassador Hales, who is Guyana’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium, has been accredited non-resident Ambassador to the Netherlands, succeeding former Ambassador, Dr Patrick Gomes.

Prominent in the discussion between the Dutch Monarch and Ambassador Hales was the impact of Climate Change on the Caribbean, including the Dutch Overseas Territories, particularly the devastation wrought by the passage of Hurricanes Maria and Irma during the 2017 hurricane season in the Atlantic.

The King visited the affected Dutch islands immediately after the passage of Hurricane Maria to get a first-hand sense of the damage that was done.
Ambassador Hales expressed his deep appreciation to the Monarch on behalf of the government, for The Netherlands’ commitment of US$702M towards helping Guyana with disaster preparedness and relief efforts.

The pledge was made in early December at the CARICOM-UN High-Level Pledging Conference at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
The agreement also involves The Netherlands designing a model of an effective and efficient drainage system for the city of Georgetown, and the involvement of Dutch businesses in Guyana’s new oil-and-gas sector.

King Willem-Alexander also showed keen interest in the current status of the Good Offices Process under the aegis of the United Nations Secretary-General regarding the Guyana-Venezuela border controversy. Ambassador Hales also held discussions with the Deputy Director, Western Hemisphere Department; Director, Multilateral Organisations and Human Rights Department and other top-level officials of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Guyana and The Netherlands established diplomatic relations on May 15, 1970.