MINISTER of Foreign Trade and International Cooperation, Mr. Clement Rohee, has called on the Guyana/Cuba Joint Commission to search for new and constructive initiatives to buttress the trade and economic objectives of both countries.
Speaking at the formal opening of the 22nd session of the Guyana/Cuba Joint Commission which was held in the main conference room of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday morning, Rohee urged the high-level teams from both Guyana and Cuba to ensure that they use this 22nd session to map out guidelines for cooperation over the next two years, with an inclusion of these new and constructive initiatives.
The Cuban delegation is led by Minister of Government within the Office of the President of Cuba, Mr. Ricardo Cabrisas Ruiz and include Mr. Jose Manuel Inclan Embade, Cuba's Ambassador to Guyana; Ms. Mariella Blanco, Economic and Commercial Counsellor, Cuban Embassy in Georgetown; Mr. Roberto Rivas Lopez, Director, Ministry of Foreign Investment and Economic Cooperation; Mr. Luis Lucas Rodriguez Perez, Quality Enterprise, Ministry of Construction, Republic of Cuba; Mr. Gilberto Font Avila, Quality Enterprise, Ministry of Construction, Cuba; Mr. Jose Eduardo Govea Cantero, Ministry of Foreign Trade, Cuba; Mr. Ricardo San Bagaratti, Adviser, Ministry of Health; Mr. Pedro San Jorge Rodriguez, Director, Ministry of Foreign Trade, Cuba.
The Guyanese delegation is led by Minister Rohee and comprise Minister of Fisheries, Crops and Livestock, Mr. Satyadeow Sawh; Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy; Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Ms. Gail Teixeira; Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Ms. Sonia Roopnauth; Director General in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Elizabeth Harper; and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Trade and International Cooperation, Mr. John Issacs.
Minister Rohee and Minister Cabrisas used the occasion to reaffirm Guyana and Cuba's commitment to the modality of technical and economic cooperation, which is supportive of the efforts and strategies by both countries to achieve economic growth and improve the quality of life in the two countries.
"Our efforts are even more relevant and appropriate in an unstable and unpredictable political and economic international climate (and) we have to intensify our efforts at achieving a more humane and global economic order," Minister Rohee charged.
Noting that two sets of instruments, which aimed at promoting trade and economic cooperation, were concluded last year, the Minister indicated that these instruments are expected to serve as incentives for the business communities of both countries.
"It is my expectation that your officials and mine would take the opportunity while in Guyana to explore possibilities for implementing these agreements," he told the Cuban Minister and his delegation.
He recalled in 2001 when they met in Havana, Cuba, and set a practical work programme with specific target dates for implementation, and declared that based on those target dates "we have achieved a modest rate of implementation of these objectives".
He noted that some of these targets are to be carried over to the new work programme, which they formalized and signed late yesterday. "I would like us to seize the opportunity and place fresh impetus on a new programme of cooperation, so that at the Twenty-Third Session we could boast a more rapid rate of implementation," he asserted, with a nod of approval from Minister Cabrisas.
Rohee also contended that one of the major challenges of the Guyana/Cuba cooperation efforts has been the mobilization of human and financial resources "to ensure the successful implementation of many elements of our joint work programme".
"We have agreed that we will embark on a new and innovative modality to overcome this hurdle," he said, while expressing confidence that, having regard to the commitment by Guyana and Cuba to the Millennium Development Goals and South/South Cooperation, both countries shall achieve much success guided by these two lofty objectives.
He was also optimistic, and rightly so, that the realization of this 22nd session of the Guyana/Cuba Joint Commission will mark another significant milestone in Guyana's relations with the Republic of Cuba.
"It is my hope that my colleague and friend, Minister Cabrisas, will seize the opportunity during this meeting of the Joint Commission to visit the industrial and other production enterprises which can play a major role in promoting the enhancement of mutually beneficial relations between our countries," he added.
SIGNING OF AGREED MINUTES:
Minister Rohee and Minister Cabrisas last evening signed the agreed minutes of the 22nd session of the Guyana/Cuba Joint Commission, which contains the several development, programmes to be undertaken over the next two years.
Guyana and Cuba have witnessed a diversification and intensification of cooperation programmes since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1971.