Economic cooperation on agenda as Pres. Ali leads delegation to Summit of the Americas

President Dr. Irfaan Ali is leading a Guyanese delegation to Los Angeles, California, in the United States (US) where they will be participating in the IX Summit of the Americas, hosted there this week.

A release from the Office of the President noted that the Guyanese Head of State will be accompanied by First Lady Mrs. Arya Ali, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Hugh Todd, Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud and Ambassador GeorgeTalbot.

The event is being held under the theme “Building a Sustainable, Resilient, and Equitable Future”.

Through the summit, the release noted, leaders from across the Americas are expected to explore economic relationships and common goals for the Western Hemisphere.

Discussions are forecast to cover topics such as democracy, clean energy, digital transformation, climate change, migration, recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, building resilience, and boosting economic growth.

A number of initiatives are expected to be launched in some of these areas.

President Ali, who confirmed his attendance in May, previously stated that climate change, energy security and food security were among the issues Guyana was keen on discussing.

Meanwhile, the release further noted that previous summits allowed countries to work together to promote democracy and human rights, increase economic competitiveness, promote development, improve access to clean energy and communication technology, strengthen regional security, and counter illicit trafficking.

All Heads of Government are expected to arrive by Tuesday. Though accompanying events have commenced, the IX Summit is slated for a Wednesday start.

US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will host the inaugural ceremony on Wednesday evening.

Following that ceremony, on Thursday and Friday, leaders will be locked in several rounds of discussions aimed at advancing cooperation within the Americas.