Guyana, which is being represented at the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC) 2022 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), by Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat, used the occasion to enter talks with India on energy security, as well as training Guyanese for upstream and downstream engineering.
News of the discussions in Abu Dhabi came from Hardeep Singh Puri, India’s Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs. Puri, who is also the Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, had a discussion with his Guyanese counterpart on Monday, on the sidelines of ADIPEC.
In a tweet, Puri said that he discussed areas of cooperation in the energy sector during the meeting with Bharrat. Also discussed was the willingness of Indian companies to assist Guyana in training engineers for upstream and downstream sectors. According to Puri, this is so that Guyana can maximise the production of oil from the landmark discoveries.
And in a statement, the Indian High Commission in Guyana confirmed the talks, noting that Puri has extended the offer of assistance in training the engineers, to Guyana. The High Commission also drew reference to the strong bilateral relationship that the two countries enjoy.
For years, the Government of India has been offering several scholarships for Guyanese in various areas, including military, medical, technical, and cultural training. The Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation or ITEC programme, fully funded by the Government of India, has progressed over the years. It now attracts participants from 161 countries in Asia, Africa, East Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean, as well as Pacific and Small Island countries.
“India and Guyana’s historical bilateral relations are underpinned by robust ongoing cooperation in a different sector, especially in healthcare, education, culture, finance, training, and capacity building,” the High Commission said.
“A large number of developmental cooperation projects being executed by the Government of India in Guyana under various assistance in the form of support to combat COVID-19, ITEC/ICCR scholarships, Grant/Line of Credit developmental infrastructure projects, etc., demonstrate the commitment of India in being a reliable partner in Guyana’s developmental journey.”
The ADIPEC conference in Abu Dhabi, UAE, runs from October 31 to November 3 and has drawn delegates from around the world. Minister Bharrat himself will participate in a ministerial panel on November 2, along with his Timor-Leste counterpart, Dr Victor da Soares.
