President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali said Guyana and His Majesty King Charles III will build on nearly two decades of partnership in forest conservation, with joint work now underway on the revitalisation of Georgetown and the development of a village of harmony in Moraikobai, Region Five.
The head of State made the remarks on Friday during His Majesty’s tour of the exhibition at the Second Global Biodiversity Alliance Conference and Financing Forum at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown.
President Ali credited the King’s long-standing support for helping the country prove its low-carbon model could work.
“Your Majesty, we have not disappointed you. Nearly two decades later, Guyana has demonstrated what is possible,” President Ali said.
He recalled the King’s 2008 speech in London, in which, as Prince of Wales, he praised then-President, now Vice-President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo and described Guyana’s emerging Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) as an innovative model for the world. Through the Prince’s Rainforests Project, the King then urged the international community to respond to Guyana’s vision.
Since then, President Ali said, Guyana has kept its forests standing, pioneered international financing for forest conservation, and channelled those earnings into thousands of projects across the country.
The country’s ambitions are now expanding to cover biodiversity, sustainable cities, and a broader relationship between people and nature.
President Ali said his visit to Dumfries House in Scotland, and later conversations with the King at CHOGM in Samoa, showed him that the King’s vision extends beyond protecting nature.
“[It is] about creating opportunities for people, preserving heritage, building skills, and strengthening communities,” he said.
That thinking is shaping the Moraikobai project, which will bring together Indigenous knowledge, traditional craft, sustainable livelihoods and the protection of nature. The head of state described it as a fitting expression of the philosophy the King has championed for years.
He also commended the King’s leadership in making conservation economically viable through investment and innovative financing, and in recognising Indigenous peoples as key stakeholders, partners and beneficiaries.
Looking ahead, President Ali said further collaboration is possible through the King’s Foundation, the Sustainable Markets Initiative and other partnerships.
“We can bring together governments, businesses, communities, and international expertise to develop practical solutions, mobilise investment, and deliver real benefits for our people,” he said.
President Ali said the King’s consistency over decades, and his determination to unite people around a shared vision, had already produced results. He thanked the King on behalf of the people of Guyana and said he looks forward to the next chapter of their work together, in Guyana and beyond.
The state visit marks 60 years of bilateral relations between Guyana and the United Kingdom. [DPI]
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