A LANDMARK Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was on Friday signed between Guyana and Jamaica, establishing ties in the media, mass communication and public affairs sector.

The MoU was signed by Jamaica’s Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Information Robert Morgan, and Guyana’s Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Public Affairs Kwame McCoy at the Cara Lodge Hotel.

The memorandum states that the two partners recognise the role that State media, mass communication and public relations play in fostering understanding and mutual respect between nations.

It further notes that the two states are committed to promoting collaboration, mutual learning, and sharing of best practices to foster a deeper understanding of culture, among other things, and also committed to promoting dialogue and enhancing cross-border communication.

During brief remarks following the signing of the MoU, Minister McCoy stated that the government is fully committed to forging enhanced relations among sister states to achieve synergies across various sectors.

He added, “The MoU between Guyana and Jamaica will virtually close the loops of space and distance between our information and communication sectors, building bridges of comity in the true spirit of the integration movement of CARICOM.”

Minister McCoy stated that at the behest of Guyana, and after a short process of simple groundwork, the two countries have taken the initiative to establish a framework for mutual cooperation on media, mass communication and public affairs.

Further to this, he said that it initially came about following previous meetings where a decision was made for the two states to collaborate in this regard.

Meanwhile, Minister Morgan, during his remarks, stated that the MoU is important as it further demonstrates the brotherhood and sisterhood of the people of Jamaica and the people of Guyana, as he indicated that the relationship between the two countries has stood the test of time.

“Knowledge exchange and best practices is a core part of this Memorandum of Understanding. We know that in the Caribbean, different countries have different expertise that can be of assistance to other countries within the CARICOM region, and as a Caribbean community, it is very important that we have cross-pollination so that we can improve our own situation,” Minister Morgan said.

With the establishment of these ties, he added that they do expect, from time to time, that different groups from Guyana and Jamaica will travel back and forth between each other’s countries to learn and participate in activities.

Against this backdrop, he highlighted that there is also the possibility for content sharing between the two countries across various sectors and fields.

The minister and his delegation came to Guyana to take part in World Press Freedom Day activities here and establish deeper ties in the public communication sector.