President Donald Ramotar yesterday pledged Guyana’s continued commitment to pursuing relations with long-time partners Canada, the United States and Europe as well as expanded relations through South-South cooperation.
He was at the time addressing Guyana’s foreign policy focus at the biennial Conference of the Heads of Guyana’s Missions overseas, which opened yesterday at the Guyana International Conference Centre at Liliendaal.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ramotar also addressed diplomatic representation,
while noting Caricom’s call for exploring shared diplomatic space. He said Guyana should take advantage of this.
He said too that the Diaspora was valuable in development and he encouraged the Foreign Ministry to develop and utilise the resources and skills found throughout the Diaspora.
The President called on the Heads to see themselves as those responsible for contributing to the formulation of Guyanese foreign policy. The Heads of Mission were updated on the current political and economic climate of Guyana before being commended for their work in representing Guyana by the President.
Ramotar also stated that Guyana will continue to ensure that any border issues and disputes are addressed within the context of international law and peacefully.
The President also paid special tribute to China’s growing influence in the world while highlighting the country’s ability to assist many developing nations. Ramotar also spoke about the US$10 billion offered by China to CELAC countries as soft loans and the 6,000 scholarships that will be used to expand trade within the region. He further praised the BRICS nations for the establishment of a development bank, which will provide yet another source of financing in the developing world.
