For the last three weeks, Prime Minister John Briceño and a delegation from his administration have been out of the country on various trips for different matters of state or diplomacy. This afternoon, a government press release confirmed that he traveled to Guyana to meet with his counterpart in this fellow CARICOM Nation.
It's a joint statement from the governments of Belize and Guyana. It informs that at the invitation of Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, the President of the Republic of Guyana, Prime Minister Briceno made a 4-day visit to Guyana. He was accompanied by Foreign Affairs Minister Eamon Courtenay, Rosanna Briceno, the PM's wife who is also the Special Envoy for the Development of Families and Children, and Gale Miller-Garnett, Belize Honorary Consul in Guyana.
Apart from meeting with President Ali, Prime Minister Briceno also held discussions with Guyana's Vice-President, Bharrat Jagdeo, Guyana's Foreign Minister Hugh Todd, and other Ministers in Guyana's Cabinet. In addition, during talks with Oneidge Warlord, the Minister of Tourism and Commerce, both sides agreed that Belize and Guyana would share best practices and expertise in tourism as Guyana develops its tourism industry.
The ministers of the two countries also discussed regional and international challenges such as the protracted effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the state of ongoing economic recovery, climate change, and geopolitical tensions.
The leaders also dove deep into discussions on agriculture and food security in the context that both Belize and Guyana are mainland countries in the Caribbean Community. Both Heads of Government agreed on the importance of strengthening agriculture and food security in order to mitigate a growing food crisis.
The Belize delegation also visited Boa Vista, the capital of Roraima, Brazil. They were hosted by Antonio Denarium, the Governor of Roraima. The Belize delegation held discussions with the Governor and members of the business community on potential exports of agricultural products from Roraima into CARICOM and beyond.
As part of the trip to Guyana, Prime Minister Briceno and President Ali agreed on the urgency and value of strengthening bilateral ties within CARICOM, and they exchanged views on how best to reduce the region's food import bill by 25% by the year 2025.
Both leaders signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana and the Government of Belize, designed to enhance cooperation between the two nations.
They also instructed officials within the respective ministries to operationalize the MoU as soon as possible. They are also to prepare a joint work program that is consistent with the objectives of the MoU. They also discussed climate change and plans for cooperation on this complex issue. They have agreed that the experts from the respective countries should meet as a matter of urgency to agree on common approaches. The two leaders are also committed to collaborating and sharing experiences and expertise in designing policies to promote the economic, social, and cultural advancement of their indigenous peoples. Oscar Requena will visit Guyana on July 8th to observe how Guyana addresses issues relating to its indigenous people.
