President welcomes two new Ambassadors to Guyana

President David Granger on Wednesday accepted Letters of Credence from two foreign diplomats.

According to a statement from the Ministry of the Presidency (MotP), the two new Ambassadors are Her Excellency Lilian Chatterjee, the Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana and is Excellency Javier Maria Carbajosa Sanchez, the non-resident Ambassador of Spain to Guyana.

Speaking about Guyana’s relations with Canada, the President said that while the two countries have much in common in terms of stable economies and plural societies, Guyana has much to learn from Canada especially in the areas of social cohesion and inclusionary democracy. To this end, he said that the Government welcomes the active cooperation between the two states in enhancing parliamentary democracy and good governance.

Canada is home to a large Guyanese diaspora and President Granger said that Guyana has likewise proven to be an attractive destination for Canadian investment in mining, banking and, more recently, oil and gas exploration.

In terms of green development, the President said that Guyana looks forward to working with Canada in the development of local alternative energy sources and in the sustainable development of our natural resources.

Regarding the country’s relations with Spain, the Head of State pointed out that Guyana’s petroleum industry has already attracted Spain’s investment. “We anticipate increased involvement of Spanish companies in the oil and gas sector of our economy,” President Granger.

In terms of environmental protection, the President informed the Ambassador that Guyana is moving towards establishing a ‘green state’ in which more focus will be placed on the biodiversity preservation, the provision of eco-tourism and eco-educational services, the promotion of renewable energy generation and the adoption of practical measures to ensure climate adaptation. In this regard, he noted that “Guyana is deeply impressed and is intensely interested in Spain’s success at increasing energy generation from sustainable sources and looks forward to enhanced country-to-country cooperation in this area.”

Meanwhile, both Ambassadors renewed their respective country’s commitment to working with Guyana in areas of bilateral interest.

Guyana and Canada established diplomatic ties on May 26, 1966, the date of Guyana’s Independence.

Guyana and Spain established diplomatic relations on October 12, 1979.