Guyana to have UAE, Saudi Embassies this year

Guyana to have UAE, Saudi Embassies this year — Min. Todd

Feb 05, 2022 News

Kaieteur News – Guyana will this year be opening new missions overseas particularly in oil producing states, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia and Morocco, according to Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Hugh Todd.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Hugh Todd

He gave the disclosure yesterday, as parliamentarians met for the last day of the Budget Presentation aspect of the budgetary approval process for this year and spoke to Head of State, President Irfaan Ali’s commitment, to an ambitious international policy agenda.
With a total $6B allocation, Minister Todd told the House that $3.6B of that is directly being plugged into the administration’s Foreign Policy Programme. According to the Minister, that Ministry is essential towards achieving the President’s vision of a 21st century Guyana.
Describing as adequate the allocations for his Ministry, Minister Todd told the House, his Ministry’s $6B allocation is key to aiding the continuity and bolstering of Guyana’s foreign policy initiative.
To this end, he reminded of the Diaspora Unit of the Ministry which is aimed at harnessing the skills and expertise of Guyanese living abroad since they can play an impactful role in the development of the country.
The People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C), he said, since taking Office in August 2020 has dedicated great efforts towards this end.
According to Todd, in an unprecedented time of change, including the advent of a pandemic, Climate Change and Migration issues globally, Guyana – as a small developing nation – is looking to carve out its geopolitical space and Budget 2022 provides adequate financial support in this regard.
Government’s foreign policy objectives, he said, include the preservation of Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, promoting trade and investment, engaging the Diaspora in national development efforts in addition to improving bilateral ties and other alliances, while building new ones.
To this end, Todd was adamant, Budget 2022 is “a people’s budget. A budget that is people centred and people driven.”
He was adamant that the PPP/C is the only party in Guyana’s history that has consistently crafted national budgets that always put the people of Guyana first with a view of improving their lives in a way that matters most.
This, he said, is especially important in this ethos of Guyana’s history, a clear reference to the nascent oil and gas industry and its potential for the country’s development.
As such, contrasting Budget 2022 with his predecessors’ versions, Todd said the David Granger-led administration’s time in office was characterised as delusional and despotic.
Economic development under the People’s National Congress Reform dominated administration, according to Minister Todd, “was filled with delusional ideas and failed promises.”
He cited as example, the commitment by the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC), in the Paris Agreement to have Guyana’s economy be 100 percent completely renewable by 2025.
According to Todd, in 2015, the Granger administration inherited a Low Carbon Development Strategy that had been recognised for its innovative development and that “they could not take and move our development.”
Referencing the Green State Development Strategy that had been promulgated by the Granger administration, Minister Todd quipped, “the only green development they know was to paint our public buildings green. Their green strategy was painting everything and anything.”
To this end, Todd was adamant, the PPP/C administration will continue with development in an environmental manner and that Guyana will continue to be a carbon sink
According to Todd, the $553B Budget which was presented for approval is about the modernisation of every sector of the economy bringing greater prosperity to all Guyanese.