–sign MoU to continue discussions on issues of mutual interest

IN an effort to deepen bilateral and political ties, the Government of Guyana and the Government of the State of Qatar held its first political consultations, and inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for further political consultations on issues of mutual interest on Tuesday.
The MoU was signed by Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Hugh Todd, and the Secretary General of Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Ahmed Bin Hassan Al Hammadi.

This followed the inaugural political consultations held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Ramphal House, where Al Hammadi and a delegation met with Guyana’s Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud and a Guyanese delegation.
During this discussion, Persaud highlighted that as Guyana is undergoing rapid transformation as the fastest-growing economy, and being one of the newest oil producers, many opportunities exist for trade and cooperation.
“We hope that through today’s political consultation we can examine those, and that itself would lead to some specific and additional areas in which we can mutually agree to in terms of pursuing,” the Foreign Secretary said.

He went on to say that Guyana was pleased to receive the Amir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani last year, which meeting gave impetus to relations between the two nations.
Persaud noted that the consultations on Tuesday served as a platform to explore other areas of cooperation, particularly in the areas of agriculture, health, and energy, and also explore broader areas at the diplomatic level, where there can be collaboration.

In brief remarks, Dr. Al Hammadi said that relations between Qatar and Guyana have been solid, and the purpose of the visit was to look at how the two countries can deepen ties in several other areas.
He indicated that the State of Qatar looks into and invests in various areas such as energy and tourism among others, and will find a space to invest and cooperate with Guyana.

The MoU was signed between Guyana and the State of Qatar for political consultations on issues of mutual interest.
This agreement marks a significant development in diplomatic relations between the two countries, and aims to establish a framework for regular political dialogue and cooperation between the two nations.
Further, it was noted that the MoU will make way for further bilateral visits, collaborative efforts, and greater collaboration between the two countries in various sectors like agriculture, health, energy and even infrastructure.
In September 2023, President Dr. Irfaan Ali and His Highness Al Thani held discussions on a wide range of issues of mutual interest to strengthen bilateral relations.

At the time, an agreement was signed to encourage and protect mutual investment between the two countries, along with another agreement regarding economic, commercial and technical cooperation, and further a third agreement on legal cooperation.
Both leaders at the time expressed their confidence in the prospects for enhanced co-operation between Qatar and Guyana, and agreed to work together to further strengthen their bilateral relations.