Georgetown : It is important for Guyana to improve its relations with South American countries as it stands to benefit from the exchange of resources, technology and knowledge in a variety of areas.
The Guyana Government is currently involved in deepening cooperation with other countries in the South American region. This will see Guyana taking advantage of its strategically located position which serves as a pivotal link among Latin America, the Caribbean and further afield.
“There is no reason why it can’t be done bilaterally…normally it’s (strengthening of relations with South) done in the context of a United Nations- South -South relations and a variety of tools,” explained Minister of Foreign Affairs Carl Greenidge during a recent interview with the Government Information Agency (GINA).
One of the main instruments for South-South cooperation over the years has been the African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group of States, which was formed by a 1975 agreement signed in Georgetown.
“That will continue…we are at the moment going to be looking at the question of the future of the ACP group…that’s part of South-South cooperation together with working with the United Nations and Commonwealth,” Minister Greenidge said.
Given the exchange of experiences Guyana has shared within the grouping over the years, work will be heightened with the Commonwealth countries under the area of technical cooperation with focus on governance. “You have economic governance, regulation of enterprises and it is an area where, if you don’t get it right it creates a lot of problems both political and economic and losses on the fiscal monetary side,” Minister Greenidge explained.
The visa abolition agreement between Guyana and Uruguay in 2015 provides both countries with a golden opportunity for exchanging resources. Particularly it allows for consolidating and promotion of relations in areas of common interest, including economic, commercial, financial, industrial, agricultural, scientific, technical and cultural fields. Further, the bridge across Guyana’s Takutu River in Region Nine is another fruit of bi-lateral relations shared with Brazil.
In addition to being a member of the Caribbean Community, Guyana is also a mainland country in South America and efforts will continue to improve trade strategies and physical integration projects which would enable it to expand trade and economic cooperation with its South American neighbours with which it shares borders.
Guyana shares bilateral relations with Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Honduras.
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