Guyana, Brazil confab to convene on border communities’ cooperation

Jun 04, 2017 News

– Public Security, Education and Human trafficking on agenda

Issues relating to cooperation between communities on the border between neighbouring Brazil and Guyana are expected to be discussed as the two South American nations gear up to convene their fifth meeting of the Guyana/Brazil Group on Council Cooperation.
The two states will also host their Sixth Meeting of the Guyana/Brazil Frontier Committee.
This was announced by Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, at the post Cabinet briefing at the Ministry of Presidency in Georgetown on Friday.
The Minister said that the confabulations will be held on June 5 and June 6 in Lethem, Region Nine (Upper Takatu/Upper Essequibo) and Guyana’s delegation will be led by the Director General in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Audrey Waddell-Jardine.
Harmon revealed that the meeting will address issues relating to cooperation between communities on the borders between Guyana and Brazil in the areas of health, education, water management, animal and agricultural surveillance, trafficking and violence against women, indigenous issues and public security.
The Minister noted the importance of the committee since it was established “to advance the process of integration by nurturing development of the population within the frontier communities,”
The Guyana/Brazil Frontier Committee was established on September 14, 2009 with the inaugural signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two countries on the opening of the Takatu Bridge, which serves both countries.
Guyana and Brazil have both benefited from their fruitful partnership over the years in mainly trade, cultural exchanges and infrastructure development.
There are now many Brazilian businesses operating both in the hinterland and throughout the coast of Guyana.
The Guyana government through its utility company, the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) is also expected to get assistance from the Brazilian Army in drilling nine wells within the South Rupununi area. This exercise is expected to begin before the end of this year.
Meanwhile, there are several projects in the pipeline that are yet to be addressed. These projects include the long-awaited Linden-Lethem roadway that was promised to be funded by Brazil.
However, last January, the Government of Guyana began engagements with the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) for possible funding for the project since Brazil at that time, was facing “significant” economic problems.
Also, the Guyana-Brazil Road Link has apparently been shifted to the back burner. The project has long been one that both countries were working to realise.
A cooperation agreement signed a few years ago had not only targeted the roadway, but the building of a deep-water harbour and a huge hydro-power facility somewhere in the Mazaruni, Region Seven Cuyuni/Mazaruni) area.

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