Guyana/Brazil projects will hasten continental integration
By Chamanlall Naipaul
Guyana Chronicle
August 7, 2003
Continental integration and infrastructure projects between Guyana and Brazil featured prominently during President Bharrat Jagdeo and his ministerial team's recent visit to Guyana's huge South American neighbour.
Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon, at his weekly news conference yesterday said that the critical road project linking Guyana and Brazil achieved strong support from both sides and mirrors the continental body established to accelerate continental integration.
Feasibility studies are currently underway supported with funding from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Dr. Luncheon said, explaining that since the construction of the roadway and a deep water harbour would be financed by the private sector it is essential to determine their economic advantage and benefit to potential investors.
On completion of the feasibility study the specifics and greater details of the project will be dealt with, he added.
The HPS also gave the assurance that all bilateral agreements entered into between the two neighbours have been concretised but their implementation will take some time because agreements between states are carried out in incremental steps.
As regards the challenge to the European Sugar Protocol by Brazil and Australia, the HPS indicated that the matter "surfaced" during President Jagdeo's engagements but pointed that the matter is being handled at a technical level and Brazil has reiterated that it would not do anything to jeopardize the markets secured by the African, Caribbean and Pacific (AC) group of nations.
Brazil and Australia have indicated that they will continue to challenge the European Union's (EU's) Sugar regime by taking it to the trade dispute panel of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Guyana's Minister of Foreign Trade and International Cooperation, Clement Rohee, who was part of an African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) trade ministers lobbying mission to Brazil this February had reported that during that visit to Brazil they were informed that the Brazilian government had taken a decision to pursue the matter at the level of the WTO.
Rohee said that Brazil has indicated its desire to find a resolution to the issue, and a number of proposals have been put forward for consideration that are aimed at resolving the matter outside the realm of the WTO to the satisfaction of all the affected parties. However, he did not elaborate on the proposals pointing out that they are still at the stage of negotiations, therefore it will be violating principles of protocol to expand on the proposals.
"It is most unfortunate that we were apprised during the course of a meeting we had with the Minister of External Affairs of Brazil that a decision in principle had been adopted to take the challenge to the Dispute Settlement Body of the WTO. However, at the same time, the Minister declared that Brazil was prepared to examine and consider any proposals by the EU to resolve the issue. Notwithstanding, this decision, the ACP is still hopeful that consultations between the parties will be ongoing and that a satisfactory solution can still be found which will bring a halt to the whole exercise," Rohee said.
Rohee also noted that during the visit to Brazil there were useful meetings with the acting Ministers of Agriculture, Trade and Commerce and Foreign Affairs.
When the matter reaches the WTO dispute panel, then it becomes a legal matter, as such one of the immediate tasks of the ACP is to procure legal services to represent their interests, Rohee added.
