Finance Min declares Pres. Ali’s Washington visit to bring major benefits for Guyana

Major benefits and outcomes of the President’s visit to the United States are expected to be reap by Guyana and the Caribbean region as the two countries seek to bolster their relations in a number of areas relating to development.

President Irfaan Ali is currently leading a delegation that comprises Vice President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo; Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister, Hugh Todd and Foreign Secretary, Robert Persaud.

Ali and his delegation have since engaged with several high-ranking US Government officials, including the Secretary of State to discuss a range of issues to further deepen bilateral relations between Guyana and the United States.

Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh explained that the visit is said to be one that government attaches the highest level of importance.

Dr. Singh during a media interview on Tuesday said, “We have no doubt whatsoever knowing the bilateral agenda that we share with the US. We in government know that this is a visit of the highest level of importance. Both administration place tremendous importance to the visit.”

Dr. Singh stressed that Guyana views the United States as a valued partner. It was pointed out that aside from the major role the US based company ExxonMobil is playing in Guyana’s oil and gas sector, there is increasing interest by US investors in the country’s non-oil sectors.

“Even in other sectors, we are seeing growing interest by US based companies in Guyana’s remarkable economic potential in a number of sectors where it is agriculture, tourism and all of the non-oil productive sectors…,” Dr. Singh said.

The finance minister made the point that the visit has tremendous strategic importance. “…We see it as an opportunity to reaffirm on both sides our commitment to the highly valued partnership that we share with the United States and also to advance our shared strategic interest,” Dr. Singh noted.

It was revealed that the President during his visit has continuously stressed the importance of the relationship between Guyana and the United States. Similar views were expressed by United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken on Monday when he noted that “Guyana has been a very strong partner for the United States.”

This visit, it was revealed that Guyana with the opportunity to follow up on commitments made at the recently concluded Summit of the Americas. The diplomatic relationship between Guyana and the United States spans more than five decades.

Minister Singh said too that has seen “fringe elements” trying to understate and trivialize the importance of the visit to the United States. Dr. Singh added that the visit had long been planned shortly after Ali became President in August 2020.

Therefore, the Finance Minister explained that those making spurious claims about the visit are demonstrating their lack of familiarity with the nature of relationships between friendly sovereign states.“All I will say is let us see how the visit evolves and let us see the outcomes that will emerge,” the finance minister added.