–commit to strengthening bilateral ties

GUYANA and the Republic of South Korea are working to strengthen bilateral ties through technical cooperation.

Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill and Ambassador Sangdo Kim, Representative of Republic of Korea to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Mission, held discussions on Wednesday, on the sidelines of the ongoing ICAO ICAN 2021 event being held in Colombia.

The two delegations discussed mutual areas of support, particularly in civil aviation. Among the areas discussed were technical training in aviation; upgrading of hinterland aerodromes and ICAO’s Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) Management and Implementation Systems (SMIS) and Safety Oversight Management System (SOMS).

The SMIS/SOMS is a software programme that was developed by the Republic of Korea to assist states with their ICAO compliance programme.
It was reported, on Thursday, that Guyana signed an “open skies” air services agreement with the Republic of Colombia, to promote and facilitate airlines operating between the two countries and beyond.

According to a statement issued by the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), the agreement was signed in Bogota, Colombia by Jair Orlando Fajardo, the Director of Colombia’s Civil Aviation Authority, and Minister Edghill.

“In this Agreement, we have agreed to remove all restrictions on market access, capacity, frequencies, and pricing to create for a more open market and to give route rights to our respective airlines,” Minister Edghill related.

The agreement also encompasses standard articles of grant of rights; designation and revocation; user charges; recognition of certificates and licences; tariffs; commercial opportunities; fair competition, inter alia.

“Consistent with government’s model of open skies agreements, the agreement facilitates acceptance of the principal place of business as a means of designating an airline in contrast to the traditional restrictive requirement of substantial ownership and effective control by nationals of either country,” the statement outlined.

This means that airlines could benefit from foreign share capital and investment, once they establish their main economic and operating base in either Colombia or Guyana.

Meanwhile, representatives of Guyana and Nigeria have also agreed to expedite their internal procedures to facilitate the signing of an air services agreement which was negotiated since 2014.

According to the GCAA, there were discussions between Minister Edghill and the Minister of Aviation in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Sirika Hadi.

It was explained that once signed, the agreement will promote and facilitate airlines of both countries to operate and connect the two continents, thereby leading to greater socio-economic benefits to the peoples and economies of Guyana and Nigeria.

The two officials also discussed several other matters of joint interest including tourism, infrastructural development and strengthening bilateral relations.