Foreign Affairs Minister, Dr. Rudy Insanally, is to travel to Brazil early next month to advance the process of a road link between Guyana and Brazil.
Speaking with Kaieteur News last week, Dr. Insanally said that he is not expected to meet with Brazilian President Luis Lula da Silva, but noted that the visit is a working one intended to follow up on the discussions between President Bharrat Jagdeo and President Lula.
The two leaders held bilateral discussions last month during the Nineteenth Meeting of the Rio Group here.
“I will be holding discussions with the Brazil Government on the new progress surrounding the restart of construction of the Takutu River Bridge and to advance the process of the road link between our two countries,” Insanally stated.
He added that discussions may also focus on a report of a joint technical team which assessed the paving of the Linden/Lethem road with financing from the Brazil Government.
It is believed that the commencement of movement through the Guyana/Brazil route augurs well for Guyana and the Caribbean, since it could ignite trade relations with the Latin American region.
The project will provide full integration with the countries of the Guiana Shield Hub since it crosses the proposed East-West transport network connecting Venezuela with Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana.
Last week Guyana received the ‘green light' to export products to its southern neighbour at some level of preference, through the Bom Fin route, after lengthy discussions with the Brazilian Government.
Boa Vista was the main port for exports but Government held negotiations with Brazil to change this location to Bom Fin, where the Bom Fin-Lethem/Georgetown Highway will soon be constructed.
The construction of the road link has been in the pipeline for over a decade.
A feasibility study was carried out in 1989 with funding from the European Union (EU) and in 1994 the Government of Guyana commissioned an environmental impact assessment. A second feasibility study was done in 2000.
During the Budget Presentation in February, Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh alluded to another feasibility study for the Bom Fin-Lethem-Georgetown Highway likely to be undertaken during the first quarter of next year once funding is approved by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
If the green light is given, IDB will provide US$900,000 while Government will contribute some US$225,000 towards the study.
While in Brazil, Dr. Insanally will also explore other areas of cooperation and review existing agreements between the two countries.
Brazil's Ambassador to Guyana, Arthur Meyer told Kaieteur News last week that the Brazilian Government is considering a proposal to send a technical mission to Guyana to explore new possibilities aimed at ethanol and bio-diesel production.
He indicated that this will be finalised during the visit of Minister Insanally.