President David Granger started off his first official day as Guyana’s 8th President by meeting with the CARICOM Secretary General and the ambassadors for Brazil and Venezuela on Monday, stating that it was high on his agenda to boost infrastructural and economic development with immediate neighbours.
The Government Information Agency (GINA) on Monday stated that Granger held brief meetings with the CARICOM Secretary General Irwin La Rocque, Brazil’s Ambassador to Guyana Lineu Pupo de Paula and Venezuela’s Ambassador to Guyana Reina Margarita Arratia Diaz.
The meetings, the agency, said were focused on building stronger ties with neighbouring countries. It stated that Granger said his meeting with La Rocque was a deliberate decision to meet with important neighbours.
“It was a deliberate decision of mine that we should meet with our most important neighbours first and CARICOM is at the heart of the economic development of Guyana and in terms of not only courtesy, but also in terms of policy (and) I felt it was my duty to meet with our Caribbean neighbour first,” the agency quoted Granger as saying.
President Granger said Guyana has always shared a cordial relationship with Brazil and that his administration will be working to strengthen those ties.
“…We would like to accelerate the pace of some of the projects, particularly for infrastructure and other economic ones, I’ve already discussed with Carl Greenidge, who has been identified as the Foreign Minister, to place extraordinary importance on economic relations.”
Granger noted that Brazil is also a member of the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa group and has one of the fastest growing economies in the world.
His meeting with the Venezuela Ambassador, GINA said, was centred on the continuation of the Good Officer Process on the border controversy. Granger noted that the Good Officer process forms part of the menu of measures available.
“As you know, Venezuela is an important neighbour, and in terms of PetroCaribe, the economic importance of PetroCaribe as well as other strategic dimension of Guyana/Venezuela relations,’ Granger was quoted as stating.
GINA said the meeting with LaRocque was seen as a strong signal of Guyana’s commitment to the CARICOM integration arrangement.
La Rocque, GINA said, indicated that his discussion with the president was centred on Guyana’s role in CARICOM and about the integration arrangement. He also stated that he was looking forward to working with President Granger and his administration.
Brazil’s Ambassador stated that he is also anticipating working with the new administration on some crucial infrastructural projects, some of which includes the Linden to Lethem road and a proposed hydropower plant in the Mazaruni.
