Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud, accompanied by senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, met yesterday with a visiting delegation from the United States Foreign Relations Committee.
The team is here to garner a better understanding of Guyana-US bilateral relations through engagements with local authorities on investment, governance and security matters, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation release announced yesterday.
The delegation comprises Senior Foreign Policy Advisor, Office of Senator Tim Kaine, J.C Jain; Senior Advisor on Western Hemisphere and Inter-national Law Enforcement, Victor Cervino; and Deputy Staff Director for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Andy Olson.
According to the release, the Foreign Secretary provided an overview of the status of Guyana-US bilateral relations which have intensified over the past four to five years through active and structured engagements on all fronts of cooperation. These, it informed, include recent high- level visits between the two countries from both the government and commercial sectors, as well as the establishment of the Guyana- USA Strategic Dialogue held in July 2024.
Persaud pointed out that the US is Guyana’s largest investor and a key trading partner in the Western Hemisphere. The two nations also collaborate closely within the United Nations Security Council on peace and security matters, including the establishment of the Multi-national Security Support (MSS) in Haiti. The Foreign Secretary also acknowledged and commended the United States’ support for Guyana’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
The US representatives, for their part, assured of Congress’ bipartisan support for the US-Guyana bilateral relations. In this regard, the US undertakes a long-term collaborative approach to support Guyana’s development based on trust and mutual respect. They also highlighted the importance of democratic institutions and legislation to counter money laundering and corruption, which are key to enhancing investment and commercial activities in the country.
In addition to partnering with Guyana in these areas, the representatives affirmed the US’ commitment to working with countries in the region to enhance hemispheric security through information sharing, and enhanced interoperability and compatibility.
Both sides agreed to remain engaged and to work on future areas of cooperation which would seek to further enhance the Guyana-US bilateral relations, the release added.
