A high-level delegation headed by Second Vice President and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge is in New Delhi, India for the Guyana/India Joint Commission and Inter-Ministerial Consultation, which will provide the opportunity for the strengthening of political, economic and international relations among the two countries, according to the Department of Public Information (DPI).
Natural Resources Minister, Raphael Trotman, Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Audrey Jardine-Waddell, Technical Officer and Head of the Multilateral Affairs Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Troy Torrington, and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) Dr. Mahender Sharma are also part of the delegation.
The Joint Commission last met in 2008 and according to Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, who made the announcement last Friday, the visit will provide the opportunity for engagement and discussions on a wide range of issues such as climate change and the global perspective on meaningful economic exchanges.
“It will also deal with collaborations in such areas as Oil and Gas, Information and Communication Technology [ICT], Agriculture and [the] Greening of Bartica Project.”
It is expected that two Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) will be signed, the first for new and renewable energy which will include solar energy, small hydros, biomass, bio-energy and wind energy. The second, in the area of cultural, will facilitate exchanges in music, dance, theatre, literature, mass media and youth programmes up to the year 2020, DPI said.
The State Minister informed that during the visit, Guyana will also sign and ratify the Framework Agreement on the establishment of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) which was launched in Paris by the United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNCCC) in 2015 by the President of France and the Prime Minister of India.
The ISA is the platform through which “sun-rich” countries collectively address current challenges in the use of solar energy.
The Guyana/India Joint Commission and Inter-Ministerial Consultation commenced on Sunday, January 28, 2018, and will conclude on Saturday, February 3, 2018.
