Minister of Foreign Trade and International Cooperation Clement Rohee (left) and Cuban Ambassador to Guyana Jose Manuel Inclan Embade exchange the just-signed Memorandum of Understanding. The agreement, which seeks to further promote trade and cooperation
The governments of Guyana and Cuba yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understand-ing (MOU) which could help boost trade between the countries.
The signing took place at the conference room of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs between Minister of Foreign Trade and International Cooperation, Clement Rohee and Cuban Ambassador to Guyana Jose Manuel Inclan Embade. It was also announced that a Guyana trade mission is to attend a trade promotion event in Havana in October.
Only last month, a Cuban mission was in Guyana for the beginning of the Twenty-Second Session of the Guyana/Cuba Joint Commission.
Among the projects to form part of the 2003-2006 programme are the promotion of cultural cooperation and post-graduate training for the health and education sectors.
Through the agreement, Cuba and Guyana will seek to promote the establishment of joint mechanisms to foster closer collaboration and exchange between the business communities of the two countries. They will also seek to collaborate at the international trade meetings.
Embade said yesterday's signing gave the two countries the legal framework to continue working together.
He said the Joint Business Development Council has already been created with a view to enhancing dialogue and contact between the business communities.
From the MOU, the two countries will encourage cooperation in tourism development and proficiency training in trade-related areas. Information will be exchanged on each other's trade policies and regulations.
Rohee, in brief remarks, said that Guyana needs to diversify its trade relations with the regions of the world and the signing of the MOU was a step in this direction.