Georgetown, Guyana, September 16, 2015 – President David Granger and First Lady, Mrs. Sandra Granger last evening attended a reception in commemoration of the 205th anniversary of the independence of Mexico at the Marriott Hotel in Kingston. The President lauded Mexico’s support for the region through the CARICOM-Mexico cooperation programme at the function.
“Mexico’s geopolitical role will be fundamental to addressing the many challenges faced by the Caribbean Region, especially in the area of food security, climate change and transnational organised crime. We wish, therefore, to urge Mexico to use its influence in the hemisphere and on the international stage to reject the use, or threat of the use of force between states, to promote development and to preserve the Caribbean as a zone of peace,” President Granger said.
The President noted that despite the disparities in wealth and size, Mexico and Guyana share many similarities and can seize many opportunities for collaboration. Guyana, like Mexico, adheres strongly to the values of; democracy, liberty, respect for human rights, sustainable development, the rule of law and peaceful solutions to international controversies.
The President pointed out that Mexico’s technical assistance, especially in the field of training and education, complements Guyana’s national efforts to create a more competent workforce, which is needed to provide vital services to support Guyana’s development.
“The groundwork for the intensification of bilateral activity between our countries has been well laid. We hope to work closely with your Embassy here in Georgetown to bring these projects to fruition. We hope also to deepen the dialogue between our two countries and to explore and exploit the considerable potential, which exists for increasing investment opportunities between Guyana and Mexico,” the Guyanese Head of State said.
Meanwhile, Mexico’s Ambassador to Guyana, Ivan Robero Sierra Medel, said that there is a huge potential for a more dynamic engagement with the greater Caribbean and Mexico has every intention to work closely with Guyana to broaden the political dialogue, improve economic exchanges and make strides in international development cooperation.
“Mexico salutes the vibrant democracy in Guyana and wants to join efforts with the Government of His Excellency, President David Granger to build stronger ties,” Ambassador Medel said.
Over the years, Mexico has provided significant assistance to Guyana in the area of capacity building. Its next project will be the digitisation of the National Archives, which is set to commence shortly. Additionally, Mexico will be sending experts to provide training to secondary school teachers in CARICOM countries. There has also been collaboration between the countries in areas such as agriculture and health.
Guyana and Mexico established bilateral relations in March 1973. This was further strengthened with the establishment of the Mexican Embassy in 2009.
