Norton, Blinken hold talks

Jul 07, 2023 News

Kaieteur News – Leader of the Parliamentary Opposition in Guyana and PNCR Leader, Aubrey C. Norton, MP on Thursday met with the United States of America, Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken.

The PNCR said in a statement that Norton and Blinken cordially engaged on matters of importance to all Guyanese and discussed several international issues.

Blinken wrapped up a visit to Guyana late yesterday afternoon after meeting with President Irfaan Ali and some members of his cabinet as well as staff of the US Embassy here.

Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton and US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken during their engagement at the US Embassy

A Department of Public Information release ahead of the visit had stated that Blinken and President, were expected to discuss a range of priorities, including food and energy security, climate resilience, and finance. The US top diplomat made a stopover here following a visit to Trinidad and Tobago where he met with that country’s leaders as well as heads of government attending the Caricom Summit.

The US Embassy had said that the visit by the Secretary of State will build on Vice President, Kamala Harris’s historic June 8 visit to The Bahamas, where she co-hosted the U.S.-Caribbean Leaders Meeting. Wazim Mowla associate director of the Caribbean Initiative at the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center, wrote last week that Blinken’s trip to the Caribbean cannot be a wasted opportunity.

Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton and Secretary of State, Antony Blinken cordially engaged on matters of importance to all Guyanese and discussed several international issues

He said on the surface, this is a win for US-Caribbean relations, as it comes off the back of several high-level US visits to the region. According to Mowla for the United States, the consequences of insufficient action so far are evident, noting that given the enormity of the challenges facing the Caribbean, the region’s leaders are seeking solutions to their problems elsewhere. The writer noted that Barbadian Prime Minister, Mia Mottley has taken to the global stage to overhaul MDB financing, while Guyana is welcoming investment in its oil sector from all corners of the world, and Trinidad and Tobago is increasing engagement with Venezuela over shared gas reserves. “Other Caribbean leaders see African countries, India, and China as attractive partners that can provide financing, investment, and aid,” Mowla wrote in the piece which appeared on the Atlantic Council’s website.

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Antony Blinken, Aubrey Norton, Kamala, Leader of the Opposition, Secretary of State

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