–President Ali says of bilateral relationship between Guyana, US
–affirms that Guyana remains committed to achieving the collective goals of both nations

GUYANA and the United States of America have, over the years, taken progressive steps to fortify and advance the bilateral relationship that exists between the two nations, with partnerships and co-operation on social and economic initiatives that will continue and even expand as time progresses.

President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, and US Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch, underscored the importance of the relationship the nations share during an event which was held on Thursday, at the official residence of US Ambassador to commemorate the United States’ 246th Independence.

In his remarks at the event, President Ali said that not only does Guyana value its relationship with the US, but it sees this partnership as an important and strategic one.

“We see this relationship as important, as strategic, and one that we together will continue to mold in a way that it stands outstandingly as an example of the principles we both hold together: good governance, democracy, global peace, freedom and justice, and equality for all,” Dr. Ali posited.

He related that the country has been a long-standing, supportive development partner of Guyana and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) at large. This partnership, he said, was renewed in definitive and heartened terms at the recently held Summit of the Americas.

At this summit, President Ali said that the CARICOM Heads of Government had the opportunity to engage US President, Joe Biden and Vice-President, Kamala Harris.

During those engagements, from Guyana’s end, President Ali said he was able to reinforce Guyana’s commitment to working together with the United States in areas like climate change, food security, transnational crime, and others.

With that, he said that the launch of the US/Caribbean partnership to address climate change is a welcome demonstration of the renewed commitment of the US to partnering with the Caribbean region on matters of international importance.

Outside of this overarching drive to promote regional development, Guyana has benefitted significantly from the support of the United States in areas like education, health, governance, and security, with the greatest impact being in human resource development and capacity building.

Dr. Ali said: “This, with the added vigor in our co-operation at the security level, would only redound to the benefit of both [the] United States and Guyana. I want to assure you that we stand committed with you in fighting drug trafficking not only in Guyana but in the region, in partnering with you on issues of transnational crime and human trafficking.”

He added: “Be assured that in Guyana lies a strong and solid partner in pursuit of these goals and objectives.”

The Head of State reiterated the appreciation for the support and generosity that the United States had extended to Guyana during the height of the global pandemic.
Specifically, he mentioned that this support came in the form of acquiring supplies, gear, and even vaccines.

According to the President, while the world is recovering, the two nations must look towards being resilient in everything that is done.

STANDS READY
He said: “Guyana stands ready to work in partnership with the United States in these and many other areas as we seek, together, to ensure that democracy and development redound to the benefit of all peoples. For the government I lead, it is a priority that those fruits are fully enjoyed by all Guyanese without exception.”

Meanwhile, Ambassador Lynch also expressed the US’ commitment to strengthening and advancing its partnership with Guyana.

“Going forward, we will continue to partner with you on inclusive democracy, economic development, and citizen security for all Guyanese, and to promote the public values of transparency, diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility,” the ambassador said.

Against this backdrop, she noted that Guyana is currently on a unique journey in its current development trajectory and underscored that the United States has been and will continue to be part of this journey.

“… our partnership will continue to thrive and grow during these historic times in Guyana,” Lynch said.

Before March of every year, the contractor and the government must devise a yearly plan for utilising qualified Guyanese resources for the upcoming year. The plan’s effectiveness will be assessed by the Minister of Natural Resources and the contractor. The contractor will report every six months on the progress of utilising qualified Guyanese resources in the previous months which follow the last submitted report. Adjustments to the plan are possible if those result in increased qualified Guyanese resources being used by the contractor for petroleum operations in Guyana. (Excerpt taken from 2016 Production Sharing Agreement)