–President Ali tells first United Caribbean Forum
–Former US President Clinton offers support to foster further regional integration

GUYANA’S growing partnership with the Dominican Republic (DR) could foster greater regional integration of the Latin American and Caribbean region, President Dr. Irfaan Ali has said.
The Guyanese Head of State, during a panel discussion at the first United Caribbean Forum, held in Georgetown at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) on Tuesday, said that Guyana, through its partnership with its Latin American counterpart, could narrow the existing gaps in technology, human resources and other sectors.

“We will all agree that we are not where we should be, when you measure us against the global scale; there is definitely a gap in where we are and where the rest of the world is today,” the Head of State said.
While recognising these gaps, Guyana, Dr. Ali said, is positioning itself to build a sustainable future not only for itself but also for the entire region, applying world-class technology, methods and best practices globally, and the DR will be a critical partner in those efforts.

“We see the DR as a critical partner in bridging the gap, when you speak about tourism, scale and capacity in the private sector, leveraging capital, looking at the value-added industry in food production. We see great synergy in the government and the private sector working together in aligning those synergies and expanding the opportunities,” President Ali said.
Joining the Guyanese President on the panel discussion, Former United States President Bill Clinton pledged support to the two nations to strengthen regional growth and integration.
“This partnership between governments and businesses and NGOs between the Dominican Republic and Guyana, I hope, is the tip of the iceberg. I hope it will give new life to CARICOM, and new life to any other organisation that is active here, because you have this amazing opportunity to blend the strength of numbers with the strength of individual gifts,” the former President said.

Clinton said he will lend support through his organisation, the Clinton Global Initiative, by way of providing support to further bridge the existing gaps and create integration among the Americas.
“The Americas need to work more closely together and, in many ways, the smallest countries by population are the most successful where economies of scale are not as important as personal contact and personal responsibility. But it is hard to raise the capital to take all of the small countries forward together, so you have this dilemma where, in theory, the smallest countries could be the most successful,” he said.

The former US President stressed the need for the Americas to work closely to strengthen partnerships among governments, private sectors, and non-governmental organisations to breathe new life into the region.
The Guyana Dominican Chambers of Commerce here organised the United Caribbean Forum in Georgetown, Guyana.
The forum was intended to unite business leaders, policymakers, and industry experts from across the Caribbean to discuss vital topics that will be key to helping propel Guyana’s development for the future.

The Dominican Republic Ambassador to Guyana Ernesto Torres-Pereyra; US Ambassador to Guyana Nicole Theriot; the European Union’s Ambassador to Guyana René van Nes, and the British High Commissioner to Guyana Jane Miller were among members of the diplomatic corps present at the forum.
Key players from the regional energy and private sectors were also present.