President Dr Irfaan Ali on Tuesday accepted Letters of Credence from the Ambassador of the Philippines to Guyana and the Ambassador of Zimbabwe to Guyana, respectively, at the Office of the President, Shiv Chanderpaul Drive, Georgetown.
While making his presentation, Non-Resident Ambassador of the Philippines to Guyana Mario Chan proposed consideration of a visa-waiver agreement between the Philippines and Guyana for diplomatic passport holders.
The waiver will facilitate free travel for government functionaries between the two countries as the Philippines seeks cooperative engagements in the areas of tourism, fisheries, food manufacturing and agriculture under the Philippines-Guyana Technical Cooperation Agreement, Chan said.
He noted that the people to people exchanges between Guyana and the Philippines have so far given Filipinos the opportunity to beneficially contribute to the education, forestry and mining sectors in Guyana.
“To enhance this contribution to the economic and social development of Guyana, the Philippines is interested in furthering expanding our operation in the fields of hydropower, technology and sugar industry,” Chan said.
President Ali said that his government will examine the proposal for the conclusion of a partial visa-waiver agreement as he renewed his commitment to increasing people to people contact and enhancing cooperation in key areas between the two countries.
He, however, was adamant to remind that Guyana is on the cusp of economic transformation with special emphasis being placed on the agriculture sector and noted that Guyana is keen to explore opportunities in the Philippines in this sector.
“This sector is expected to promote sustainable livelihoods for all Guyanese while ensuring food security for the Caribbean,” President Ali said.
Meanwhile, in presenting his Letters of Credence, Non-Resident Ambassador of Zimbabwe Ignatius Graham Mudzimba highlighted that as the two countries forge ahead, the tradition of partnership is expected to be maintained.
President Ali informed Mudzimba that food security is a priority for the Caribbean and African regions and explained that his government has placed emphasis on the transformation of Guyana’s agriculture sector
“A focus on diversification of food production coupled with a focus on soil care, I believe that these are areas where Guyana and Zimbabwe can find synergies for shared technologies,” President Ali said.
The Head of State also noted that there is potential for cooperation between the two nations in education and tourism sectors and encouraged Zimbabwean companies to explore joint ventures in Guyana.