The United States is confident that Guyana can be a good neighbour and partner. In a statement issued by Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs in the State Department Roger F. Noriega he said that after a long transition toward a democratic system and free-market economy, “Guyana is ready to take advantage of new opportunities to responsibly develop its natural and human resources. As its largest trading partner and largest bilateral donor, the United States stands ready to assist the Guyanese people to meet the many challenges ahead.”

Noriega noted that President Bush had announced that the USA will substantially increase resources devoted to fighting the scourge of HIV/AIDS. “We will continue to fund programs to build the economy, support good governance and strengthen civil society.”

Noriega said that opportunities abound in the Americas, not merely to build a trade area embracing 800 million consumers and $14 trillion in GDP, but to consolidate a community of friendly nations that share a common commitment to democracy, free enterprise, and broad-based economic growth.

“Cultivating such a stable partnership has never been more important for the United States. For our neighbours — who have made hard-won gains but who still face acute challenges — U.S. engagement has never been more crucial. President Bush’s policies will help our friends overcome short-term obstacles as well as help secure a century’s worth of freedom and prosperity for our neighbours and ourselves,” he said.

At a time when the United States was concerned with homeland security, he said, it recognized the need to pay attention to stability and security close to home. Geographic ties had created natural economic relationships. U.S. exports to Latin America in the last decade had increased by 137 percent, while Latin American exports to the United States jumped by 230 percent over that same decade. “The envisioned “Free Trade Area of the Americas” will further strengthen and expand this economic partnership,” he said. U.S. objectives in the Western Hemisphere were clear, Noriega said “We seek thriving democratic and stable neighbours that are prosperous economic partners. We want secure borders and seek a harmonious relationship with our neighbours. We wish to be a part of a community of nations working together to advance the common values of democracy and economic freedom in the world.”

A major step toward this overall goal of consolidating

a community of democratic nations was accomplished with the sigining of the Inter-American Democratic Charter on September 11, 2001, by all active OAS member states, Noriega said.