–with signing of air service agreement between Guyana, China

AN air service agreement signed by Guyana and China, on Thursday, will pave the way for direct flights between the two countries, furthering trade, commerce and tourism opportunities.

The agreement was signed by Public Works Minister Juan Edghill and China’s Ambassador to Guyana, Guo Haiyan, at the ministry’s Wight’s Lane office.

Minister Edghill said that the agreement not only strengthens the two nations’ bilateral relations, but also supplements the more than 50 air services agreement Guyana has been able to make with other International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) states to date.

“Today marks another milestone in the advancement of the bilateral relations between Guyana and China, as the signing of this agreement reflects the government’s commitment to connecting Guyana to the rest of the world,” Edghill said.

The agreement addresses matters such as grant of rights, airline designation and authorisation, revocation, suspension of authorisation or imposition of conditions, capacity and frequency provisions, recognition of certificates and licences, aviation safety and security, tariffs, among other things.

It also puts in place, the legal framework for the two countries to strengthen its ties in trade and commerce through direct flights, Edghill said.

“Guyana and China have excellent trade relations in different fields, but the reality is, there is no direct flights between the two countries to date, the signature of this agreement puts the legal framework in place to address this challenge,” the minister related.

He added: “China and Guyana will not only be friendly and distant but nearer.”

The agreement will also foster greater direct people to people contact for the advancement of cultural activities between Guyana and China; this is aligned with President, Dr. Irfaan Ali’s vision for the further advancement of Guyana’s tourism landscape.

“Guyana also anticipates that this agreement will have a positive impact on Guyana’s tourism landscape as well as the wider Caribbean and the Latin American region.

President Ali has been leading from the front in seeking to ensure that the tourism potential of Guyana is fully explored, and that it becomes one of the main sectors that will drive Guyana into the future… air connectivity with countries of all parts of the world is an essential part of that drive,” Edghill said.

He urged the Chinese ambassador to invite airline service providers to explore the Guyanese market.

“My challenge to her excellency is to invite China, Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines and Air China, among the others that you have, to look into flying the Guyana-China route,” Edghill related.

Meanwhile, the ambassador in her remarks, related that the agreement came after years of negotiations.

“The geographical distance cannot stand in the way of the deep friendship between Guyana and China. The two sides have been exploring the possibilities of civil aviation co-operation for years. In 2014, civil aviation authorities of the two countries signed MoUs in Indonesia,” Ambassador Haiyan said.

She noted that the bilateral relations between the two countries have grown significantly throughout the years, and this new initiative will further strengthen this bond.