On Tuesday, AFC leader Raphael Trotman questioned the success of Jagdeo’s recent visit to Kuwait and Iran in the Middle East, while saying it represented a continuation of a “murky” foreign policy for which the economy has not recorded any net gains. “We are reliably informed, from a source within the Office of the President [OP], that within the last three years President Jagdeo’s trips have cost this country close to $1B and the rates of return are not being shown,” Trotman said.
Just days before, the PNCR called on OP to account for the expenditure connected with the President’s overseas trips and to say what benefits have been derived from them. “It is time for the Office of the President to disclose how much taxpayers’ money President Jagdeo has spent in his numerous tours around the globe and the benefits, which Guyana has derived from this expenditure,” Opposition Leader Robert Corbin said. He also accused Jagdeo of engaging in several overseas trips while neglecting the welfare of Guyanese.
OP has not responded to these calls. When contacted by Stabroek News for comment, OP Press Officer Kwame McCoy informed that he was in a meeting and asked to be contacted later in the day. After five subsequent attempts were made to get a response, McCoy, who said he was at another meeting, undertook to contact this newspaper. He did not do so.
Trotman said the AFC would pursue the issue in the National Assembly. He also reiterated the AFC’s concern about the country’s foreign policy shift, and he urged an explanation of the formation of an “axis” with nations that have not been traditional friends and trading partners.
He said while the AFC is grateful for Iran’s pledge for the health sector as well as promised technical support in mining, it believes that Tehran might be interested in discovering where large quantities or uranium ore deposits lie. The party pointed out that Iran is undertaking a similar exercise in Venezuela, noting that uranium is an indispensible ingredient for the development of nuclear capacity. “So, we are very troubled by this,” Trotman said, adding that the situation is also the source of consternation in other Caribbean territories, which fear that it could “jeopardise the security of the region.”
Following his trip to the Middle East, President Jagdeo reported likely investments in the housing, health and mining sectors, while emphasising that the administration would continue to pursue an independent foreign policy. Following a meeting with the Kuwait Fund, Guyana has agreed to do a feasibility study and submit a project proposal for an infrastructure project up to US$10M, while a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed with Iran for a US$1.5M grant for the health sector. Further, he also revealed that Iran has offered to map mineral wealth and a mission will be here soon to work with the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission. At the end of the project, he said, the country would be better positioned for planned development of the mining sector. Jagdeo also said that he would continue to seek support where it is available and the well-being of the people would guide the country’s foreign policy.
Asked about the concern over Iran’s possible interest in uranium, Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon said on Friday that the offer to assist in mapping mineral wealth is non-specific. “The terms and the conditions under which that support has been offered did not seek to identify a particular ore or mineral,” he explained.
President Jagdeo also travelled to the Middle East last year. In January last year, he visited Libya and he subsequently travelled to Syria, Jordan, and Cyprus in March of the same year. The second tour, which was to have included visits to Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, ended abruptly after the sudden death of former President Janet Jagan.
Jagdeo has said his visits to non-traditional partners are part of a “new economic diplomacy,” focusing less on the West and more on emerging markets. According to him, it is imperative to look at the Middle East as the new source of investments, as several oil-producing countries have placed billion-dollar gains from exports into sovereign wealth funds.
His visit to Libya had the specific purpose of securing a debt write off for a US$41M loan that dates back to the 1970s. After his trip, he reported that while Guyana sought a write off of not less then 85%, Libya took the position that were it to go forward other borrowers with larger debts would apply for similar treatment. The country’s debt was also a focal point of his discussions in Kuwait; Guyana’s debt to Kuwait amounts to over US$50M.
Jagdeo has also emphasised that under the Paris Club and HIPC agreements, Guyana must seek comparable write-offs from other creditors or jeopardise the existing arrangement.
