Guyana and Russia share “deep historical roots” and have a common interest in a range of global social, economic and political issues that have a critical bearing on human development, Russian Ambassador to Guyana Nikolay Smirnov has said.
Addressing a diplomatic reception at the Embassy of the Russian Federation on Friday June 13 to mark Russia Day, Smirnov said that the advent of diplomatic relations between Guyana and Russia 44 years ago had been followed by the creation pf “political and diplomatic, economic, cultural and people-to-people contacts.”
Smirnov told guests at the reception, including Prime Minister Samuel Hinds that Guyana and Russia also share “a common vision on most issues of the international agenda including an urgent need to reform international financial organizations like the IMF, and the World Bank. Russia, Smirnov added also supports Guyana on other issues including climate change, the need for assistance to Small Island Developing States and the fight against poverty.
With regard to some of the specifics of bilateral relations between Guyana and Russia, the Russian envoy alluded to what he said were the roles of RUSAL and Petropavlovsk in creating “new jobs and providing assistance to local communities.” Russia he said, is ready to continue to offer scholarships to Guyanese to study at Russian universities.
Beyond Guyana, Smirnov said that Latin America and the Caribbean are viewed as an important part of the modern multilateral development. “Our countries share common interests in developing relations that will bring cooperation to a new level of partnership,” Smirnov said.
