Jamaica and Guyana to Strengthen Relations

Jamaica and Guyana have agreed to strengthen bilateral relations in the areas of trade, investment and agriculture.

The two countries will reactivate the Guyana-Jamaica Joint Commission that was set up under the Agreement on Economic, Technical and Cultural Cooperation and which was signed by both states on June 1, 1995.

This followed discussions between Prime Minister the Most Hon. Andrew Holness; and President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, David Granger, today  (July 6) at the 39th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM),  held in Montego Bay, St James.

The reactivation will see both countries collaborating on trade and investment and agriculture, among other things.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, told JIS News that the partnership is about building strong relations in the region.

“Somehow, within the regional context, we don’t always pay enough attention to the strengthening of what we can do across borders and building the relationships with each other,” she said.

She said the Meeting, so far, has been “excellent” and the Heads have been having “robust discussions”.

“When the decisions are announced and explained, it will be interesting to understand the balance that has been created and how that will be accepted or interpreted by the public,” he said.

Commenting on the Joint Commission, the President of Guyana said attention was paid to food security, noting that there is enough land space in Guyana and the region for agricultural production.

Further, he said that Caribbean countries could produce all the food needed for the hotel sector and its people.

The President said that Guyana is on the brink of going into the petroleum industry and will be using the resources to enrich the Caribbean’s access to energy.

He said that discussions also focused on public security, including trafficking in persons, threat of terrorism, and money laundering.

The inaugural Meeting of the Joint Commission was held from September 4 to 5, 1997 in Jamaica, with discussions covering the areas of agriculture, trade and investment, mining, energy, health, tourism, youth and culture.