Georgetown: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Guyana Thursday evening and was greeted at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Hugh Todd and Ambassador Sarah Ann Lynch.
On Friday President Ali and Mr Pompeo will sign an agreement that will permit Guyana to improve its investment enabling environment so that the country can benefit from transparent infrastructure investment that respects Guyana’s sovereignty, a senior state department official said on Wednesday.
The United States and Guyana will also exchange diplomatic notes for joint maritime patrols to interdict narcotics.
According to the State Department, Pompeo will also discuss with Guyana’s leaders the impact on their country of the crisis in Venezuela, which is the hemisphere’s largest refugee and humanitarian crisis.
He is expected to formally meet and hold extended talks with Foreign Minister Todd and Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community Irwin Laroque on Friday too. Pompeo’s visit to Guyana is seen as historic since he is the highest-ranking U.S government official to visit here.
He was also very critical of the recent protracted election process in Guyana, insisting that a government needed to be formed from the figures generated from a national recount exercise. His visit is seen as a celebration that democracy has triumphed.
Pompeo stopped in Suriname on his was here earlier on Thursday and is expected to stop in Brazil when he leaves here and then onto Colombia before returning to Texas.
The U.S. plays a key role in promoting and strengthening democracy in Guyana and Secretary of State Pompeo was instrumental in ensuring a democratic transition of government in Guyana, following attempts by the APNU+AFC coalition to derail democracy in Guyana in the recent general and regional elections.
The U.S. is also a key partner in development. According to the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. policy toward Guyana seeks to develop robust and sustainable democratic institutions, laws, and political practices; support economic growth and development; promote an active, organised, and empowered civil society; and promote stability and security.
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