–key strategic partner, Deputy Secretary of State says
THE United States has formally signalled that it regards Guyana as a key strategic partner and one of the world’s rising states, as Washington deepens its engagement with Georgetown and the wider Caribbean.
Speaking in Georgetown during a visit to celebrate what he described as a “booming” relationship, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, on Tuesday night, said Washington sees “Guyana as one of the major up and coming countries of the world at this point in time”.
He said the partnership is grounded in shared interests ranging from economic development to security and pointed to talks held earlier in the day with President Irfaan Ali.
Deputy Secretary Landau said, “We’re very aligned on a vision for prosperity that brings benefits to the people of both our countries.”
He stressed that the US wanted to be closely associated with Guyana’s development path as the country ramps up exploitation of its natural and human resources.
“I’m here at Georgetown, Guyana, where I’ve come to celebrate our partnership between our two countries, which is based on our common interests in so many areas,” he said, adding, “The United States is here to say we want to be part of the story of Guyana’s future development and prosperity.”
He said that the U.S. was keen to support the infrastructure and investment needed to translate that growth into wider prosperity.
Landau also underlined Guyana’s weight within the region, highlighting its longstanding role in CARICOM and its “huge strategic importance” to US efforts to promote stability and investment in the Caribbean.
“Guyana has huge strategic importance. It’s always been a leader in CARICOM, and we’ve been working closely with Guyana and the Ali administration on numerous topics of mutual interest,” he said.
Among the major developments in the partnership, it was previously reported that trade between Guyana and the United States has exceeded US$25 billion over the past decade, with more than half of that total being recorded within the last two years.
