The legislatures of Guyana and the Canadian province of British Columbia yesterday signed an agreement described as the framework under which their future engagements would operate.
National Assembly Speaker Dr. Barton Scotland and his counterpart, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia Linda Reid, signed the agreement at Public Buildings.
It was noted that while there are no concrete plans for future engagements, professional development is one area on which focus would be placed.
After the signing, Scotland said they would discuss the modalities from which their engagements would stem. He pointed out that a similar agreement has been signed with the legislature of neighbouring Suriname.
He pointed out the future engagements would be structured instead of taking place in an “ad-hoc” manner.
In her remarks, Reid noted that Canada has extensive economic and security relations with Guyana and it is hoped that the new arrangement will strengthen Guyana’s ties with British Columbia as there are historical ties between the two.
One of those ties is Sir James Douglas, who was born in 1803 in Demerara, British Guiana and spent some of his early childhood here before going on to become the first Governor of the colony of British Columbia from 1851 to 1864 and one of the most influential people in its founding.
In 2008, which saw the 150th anniversary of the colony, identical statues of Douglas were erected in Mahaica and at Fort Langley, British Columbia. Against this background, Reid said it was fitting that they continue to honour their shared history by establishing a new partnership between the two legislatures.
According to the objectives of the agreement, it is intended to foster the development of inter-parliamentary cooperation between the two legislatures and serve to improve understanding and functions of both institutions, particularly in the fields of legislation, culture, economics, health, science and technology, and generally reinforce greater friendship, goodwill and mutual understanding of traditions, customs procedures and practices of each House.
It is also expected that the legislatures would develop professional relationships between each other through the exchange information regarding the work of the two Assemblies on matters of common interest; professional development activities; exchange of visits between the two Assemblies as a means of fostering links between parliamentarians and parliamentary staff; and meetings between representatives of the Assemblies at conferences or seminars they may attend.