Latest update November 27th, 2024 1:00 AM

Guyana's largest selling daily and New York's most popular weekly

Latest News

Guyana and the upcoming Arab South America Summit

Dec 02, 2010 Letters

Dear Editor,
Guyana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs should be getting ready for another important heads of government meeting, the Arab South American Summit, the brainchild of President Lula da Silva of Brazil to be held in Lima, Peru on February 3, 2011.
Guyana’s President, Bharrat Jagdeo, current Chairman of the Union of South American States (UNASUR), will be an active participant at this upcoming summit of South American and Arab leaders.
President Jagdeo will have yet another opportunity to showcase Guyana internationally and to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to his nation. The Guyanese leader will even have a bigger role to play if a new Secretary General of UNASUR is not select by then.
Guyana will step up diplomatic activities with the Middle East with the opening of an embassy in the State of Kuwait, the appointment of a Honourary Consul in Saudi Arabia, and an impending visit by President Jagdeo to Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Saudi Arabia in 2011.
This move by Guyana will see the appointed of an ambassador to the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) states – Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman and Bahrain. Qatar is the second richest country in the world, Kuwait the 5th, and the UAE 6th in terms of GDP.
Having an ambassador in Kuwait will serve Guyana’s interest in the region. Partnership between Kuwait and CARICOM will eventually lead to FD. Furthermore, with Jamaica due to open an embassy in Kuwait as well, that will bring more attention to CARICOM from GCC nations.
As well, there are Guyanese living in the Gulf and on a yearly basis travel to Mekkah, Saudi Arabia, liking the two regions closely. Thus, the cultural bond between Guyana and the Middle East has been solidly established, its now time to initiate economic ties.
Bipartisan politics should be put aside in looking at this new development of Guyana Middle East ties.
The Bharrat Jagdeo government’s push to forge Middle Eastern ties was well taught out. President Jagdeo didn’t embrace the Middle East overnight and the opening of an embassy in Kuwait isn’t a “Jagdeo thing.” Relationship with the Middle East was at an all time low after the demise of the Jagans.
In fact, both the PPP and the PNC under the Jagans and L.F. Burnham were strongly aligned with Algeria, Libya, Palestine and Syria. Let us not forget that in June 1985 Guyana played host to the 11th United Nations Seminar on the Question of Palestine under the brilliant leadership of Mr. Rashleigh Jackson, former Minister for Foreign Affairs under the PNC regime.
Today, South America Arab trade has risen to 21 billion in volume. Chilean fruits and vegetables are readily available in supermarkets in the UAE, Kuwait or Qatar. Brazil frozen food and meats are in demand in the Gulf. The two regions are today linked by several airlines such as Qatar Airways and Emirates with daily flights. Gulf nations are currently seeking new sources of mutton, and they have converged on South America since Syria and Turkey stop exporting sheep due to local demand.
After the Lula Da Silva initiative of bringing the Arab World and South America together at the first Arab South American Summit in Brazil in 2005, President Jagdeo became more familiar with Arab leaders, the culture and politics of the region. Jagdeo became confident and convinced that Guyana should step up ties with the Middle East. He toured the region three times and sent his Foreign Minister, Rodrigues-Birkett to Damascus to attend the 36th OIC Foreign Minister Meeting in 2010.
It was a clear indication that Guyana was keen to enhance Middle East ties. Georgetown displayed maturity in diplomacy in avoiding the Arab vs. Persian historical animosity by President Jagdeo paying a state visit to Iran. The Kuwaiti Prime Minister, Sheikh Nasser Mohammed Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah visited Guyana in 2010, and in 2011 Guyana may witness another historic visit by an Arab head of state.
Ray Chickrie

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | November, 20th, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

ExxonMobil reports ‘record September’ to shareholders as production peaks to 660,000 barrels

ExxonMobil reports ‘record September’ to shareholders as...

Nov 27, 2024

Kaieteur News- As ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL) continues to push production to new heights in the Stabroek Block, the company recently reported a ‘record September’ to its shareholders....
Read More
Suriname to deposit royalty from oil to citizens’ bank accounts

Suriname to deposit royalty from oil to...

Nov 27, 2024

Rutherford gets big payday from Gujarat Titans at IPL 2025 Mega Auction; Shepherd, Powell snapped up by RCB and KKR, respectively

Rutherford gets big payday from Gujarat Titans at...

Nov 26, 2024

Roach and Seales star as West Indies close in on Antigua Test victory

Roach and Seales star as West Indies close in on...

Nov 26, 2024

Delroy Tyrrell continues to excel at Oneonta State University

Delroy Tyrrell continues to excel at Oneonta...

Nov 26, 2024

Ramdass Royals Crowned Champions of the Inaugural Windies Masters Cricket Extravaganza

Ramdass Royals Crowned Champions of the Inaugural...

Nov 26, 2024

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.

Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]