By Sue-Ann Wayow
TRINIDAD and Tobago and Guyana have signed a Memorandum of Understanding agreeing to cooperate in several areas with key focus on agriculture.
The signing took place on Sunday at a ceremony at the State House in Georgetown, Guyana between Guyana’s Foreign Affairs Minister Hugh Todd and T&T’s Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Amery Browne.
The signing took place in the presence of T&T’s Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and Guyana’s President Dr Irfaan Ali.
The two governments agree to encourage cooperation and joint action between enterprises while pursuing enhanced cooperation in agriculture and food security, security, energy, infrastructure and trade and investment, including addressing non-tariff barriers.
The MoU will also promote cooperation in the areas of sports and culture, tourism, and the strengthening of educational exchange and contribution towards the advancement of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).
Dr Rowley was part of the Agri-Investment and Expo in Guyana, an initiative of CARICOM to expand the agriculture sector in the Caribbean.
In March, a Guyanese delegation including Guyana’s Minister of Agriculture Zulkifar Mustapha
Dr Rowley at a press conference on Sunday evening, following his return from Guyana. spoke more about the MoU.
He said, “This meeting that would have took place in Guyana would have broken the back of this – what we do about our food import and our food import bill. We have found a way forward, a committed way forward and there will have to be adjustments to accommodate that.”
Dr Rowley added, “As we go forward with that, it calls out the whole question of whether we are going to seriously move towards the operations of a single market and a single economy in CARICOM because if we do not go down that road, we could find ourselves obstructing these possibilities.”
The Prime Minister also said CARICOM leaders were being driven to become serious on matters of regional interest.
Based on the discussions with Guyana, he said there has to be immediate follow-up and in August, there will be a meeting in Trinidad and Tobago, a date to be set in a few days.
Browne has remained in Guyana and upon his return, the date will be announced for the meeting of CARICOM leaders Dr Rowley said including officials from Brazil.
He said the Brazilians would be engaging with the private sector also for investment purposes mainly for agricultural purposes.
