Guyana accredits first female British High Commissioner
President, Dr. Irfaan Ali accepts the Letters of Credence from new British High Commissioner to Guyana, Mrs. Jane Miller (Office of the President photo)
President, Dr. Irfaan Ali accepts the Letters of Credence from new British High Commissioner to Guyana, Mrs. Jane Miller (Office of the President photo)

–strengthening partnership between Guyana, UK discussed

PRESIDENT, Dr. Irfaan Ali, on Tuesday, accepted the Letters of Credence from Mrs. Jane Million (OBE), accrediting her as High Commissioner Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Great Britain to Guyana.
In accepting the Letters of Credence, President Ali welcomed Mrs Miller, the first female British High Commissioner to Guyana, and stated that the countries have long-standing ties of history and share similar values for the respect of human rights and democracy.
He said that since attaining Independence in 1966, Guyana has shared a strong relationship with Great Britain.
Further, President Ali credited the European nation for being “unwavering in its support for Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
The President, in his remarks, commended the United Kingdom UK for its role last year in defending Guyana’s democracy.
“I must once again restate the sincere appreciation of my government for the role which the United Kingdom played last year with its principled stand for the preservation of Guyana’s democracy during the impasse in the announcement of the results of our General and Regional Elections.  My administration is committed to sustaining democratic rule in Guyana,” President Ali said.

The President said the UK has been supportive of Guyana’s development efforts through numerous programmes of co-operation, including debt relief, education, water supply, restructuring of the sugar industry, public sector reform and strengthening of the judiciary and law enforcement agencies.
He also applauded its continued support of Guyana’s economic development, including its assistance to strengthen the country’s infrastructure.
“I assure you that Guyana is deeply committed to continued collaboration for the progress of both of our peoples,” President Ali said.
Similar sentiments were expressed by the new High Commissioner, who noted that the link between the two countries is strong and will be further strengthened to the benefits of both countries during her time in office.

High Commissioner Miller acknowledged President Ali’s stance on climate change and said that this topic was also at the forefront of the agenda of the Prime Minister of the UK, Boris Johnson.
She applauded the President for his efforts in 2021 on climate change, including the signing of both the Leaders’ Pledge for Nature and the Global Ocean’s Alliance.
“Both of these are key milestones, as we work together on sustainable options for a cleaner and safer environment for our children,” the High Commissioner said.
President Ali said that it was important to work together to seize the opportunity to match political will with action in the fight against climate change.
He said that he was confident that the 26th UN Climate Change Conference, to be hosted in Glasgow in November, will give greater consideration to the concerns of small-island developing states and low-lying coastal states.
“This conference represents a watershed moment for the discussions on climate change,” the Head of State said.

Guyana, he noted, is taking meaningful action to contribute to global efforts to address “this existential crisis”.
“My government has advanced its work to revitalise our Low Carbon Development Strategy. Guyana’s future actions in this area will place great emphasis on the protection of our environment, the preservation of our biodiversity and the promotion of renewable energy and measures to ensure climate adaptation,” President Ali related.
High Commissioner Miller said she was delighted by some of the British-financed programmes, including the SMART Hospital Initiative.
She also applauded the President for his “determined effort to roll out vaccines across the country” in the fight against COVID-19 and on him applying to join the Media Freedom Coalition.
Also present at Tuesday’s meeting were Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony; Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, Elisabeth Harper; Mrs. Miller’s husband and daughter, and the Deputy British High Commissioner, Ray Davidson.

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