President David Granger, on Thursday evening, said the United Kingdom remains a strategic partner of Guyana, even as he noted that the relationship between the two countries has provided valuable assistance to Guyana in numerous fields.
According to the Ministry of the Presidency, the President was at the time speaking at a reception hosted by the British High Commissioner to Guyana, Mr. Greg Quinn, at his residence, on the occasion of the 93rd birth anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
“Our relations are founded on the five principles. Those are mutual non-interference in each other’s internal affairs; mutual respect for each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty; cooperation for mutual benefit; respect for international law and treaties and the maintenance of international peace and security. Britain remains a strategic partner of Guyana.
“Britain has provided valuable assistance to Guyana in the fields of agriculture, aquaculture, culture, disaster-relief, education, economic competitiveness, governance, investment, law enforcement, trade, water supply and very particularly, reform of the judicial service, public sector and security sector,” the Head of State said.
He noted that Guyana has dedicated the Kanashen Protected Area, located in the Rupununi Region and spanning an area of almost 7,000 square kilometres to the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy and this has demonstrated Guyana’s willingness to take practical steps to ensure the preservation and protection of the environment.
President Granger also publicly expressed Guyana’s appreciation to the High Commissioner, and staff of the British High Commission, for his hard work and commitment to the development of Guyana-Britain relations.
Meanwhile, High Commissioner Quinn, in his remarks, echoed these sentiments as he too noted that the two countries have made great strides over the past years. Among the successes, he highlighted is the establishment of ties between the City of Aberdeen and the City of Georgetown.
“Guyana is on the cusp of unparalleled wealth. We have worked here with our friends across a wide range of political, economic and cultural issues. What I would like to highlight however, is that in the last year, we have cemented the links between Aberdeen and the City of Georgetown. All of this is designed to help Georgetown learn from the good and the bad of dealing with oil and gas. We have also made links between the United Kingdom and Guyanese businesses not just in oil and gas, but retail, consumer goods, services and other skills and I look forward to heading a team from Guyana to Aberdeen in August,” he noted.
The event included the sticking of the ‘birthday cake’ and was attended by Ministers of the Government, Members of the National Assembly and other members of the diplomatic corps.
