–Premier, Deputy Premier see bright future for bilateral partnerships, hail country’s leadership, advancement

GUYANESE tourists to the British Virgin Islands (BVI) would no longer require a visa in order to access the territory, according to Premier Dr. Natalio D. Wheatley at a press conference on the main island of Tortola on Monday morning.
Expressing how pleased he was to make this announcement, the Premier explained that the move will help to fortify the relationship between the Virgin Islands and the region by allowing for easier travel, trade, tourism, and investment.
He also highlighted the common goal of fostering regional collaboration, which creates fresh opportunities for interpersonal communication between the two countries.

Premier Wheatley also said that visa-free travel to the BVI is already advantageous to many Caribbean countries, and they are pleased to extend the same gesture to Guyana, since the country is considered a major player in the region as it relates to collaboration and investment.
He further said that Guyana is presently going through a historic economic change, with its expanding oil and gas industry being the main driver of this growth, combined with a diverse economy that is seeing rapid growth in the mining, construction, and agriculture sectors.
Recognising Guyana as a role model for both international diplomacy and sustainable development, Premier Wheatley said: “Guyana’s election to the United Nations Security Council places it in a pivotal position to influence the global policies on peace and security, an accomplishment that elevates the Caribbean’s voice on the international stage.”

The Premier also related that Guyana’s substantial oil reserves and expanding non-oil sectors have made it a hub for international investment.
He added that several nations have already sent trade missions to Guyana, indicating that the world community, including the US, UK, Canada, and Brazil, has taken note of the country’s economic success.
Additionally, the Deputy Primer Lorna Smith exclusively told the Guyana Chronicle that she is extremely pleased that the government of the BVI has lifted the visa requirements for Guyanese visiting the British territory.
Recognising that this move allows for the BVI to improve and increase its trade relations with the oil-rich nation, the Deputy Premier said that Guyana has become one of the fastest-growing economies in the Western hemisphere. With the country being an associate member of CARICOM, Mrs. Smith said

that they have always been familiar with Guyana.
The Deputy Premier said: “Guyana continues to increase its influence, now sitting on the US Security Council, and so to continue to be associated with Guyana is only in the interest of the BVI. We believe that we can become natural partners, complementary strengths in relation to our own financial services sector, where we are one of the leaders in companies, in corporations, and in business development.

“As it relates to Guyana, we must also recognise that Guyana has a leader [President Ali] who we are all proud of and a leader who has one of the fastest growing economies, an economy where oil and gas have been discovered, and an economy where countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and all over the world are reaching out to Guyana. Again, I must say that we are pleased with this development.”

Speaking on the cultural links between the two nations, Mrs. Smith further underscored that Guyanese in the BVI account for the third largest non-BVI population in the territory.

She also said that the BVI islanders for many years have worked beside Guyanese in various jobs such as mechanics, boat captains, teachers, and leaders in the financial services industry.
With the relaxation of the visa requirements, the Deputy Premier emphasised that the move also allows for easier travel to experience each other’s culture, which, according to her, is a “win-win” situation for both countries.

Food security and agriculture  
Regarding food security and agriculture, the Deputy Premier said that during a visit to Guyana last year, they had a “first-hand look” at all that is happening in Guyana and the impact that it will have on the agriculture sector in the BVI.
The Deputy Premier said: “We believe that there are great opportunities for us to learn from Guyana; however, the challenge for us at the moment is the transportation as it relates to importing from Guyana, but it is a challenge that we are currently looking at and see how best we can deal with this. We already have significant business between Guyana and ourselves in terms of travel by boat, and there would be greater opportunities for this area to grow.”
The Deputy Premier said that they are looking to establish a Memorandum of Understanding between Guyana and the BVI, where they can cooperate in areas such as agriculture, which according to her is “very critical” to their territory.