As Guyana seeks to strengthen ties with its international neighbours, President David Granger has accredited two new diplomats of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Republic of Mauritius.
The Guyanese leader accepted the Letters of Credence from the Vietnamese Ambassador and Mauritian High Commissioner at State House on Main Street, Georgetown.
The newly accredited Vietnamese Ambassador, Do Ba Khao, highlighted his country’s own outstanding Gross Domestic Product (GDP) performance over the past three decades, while recognising that Guyana continues to maintain political and economic stability despite external challenges not only in the Region but the world.
Nevertheless, the non-resident diplomat noted that this renewed bilateral will see the two countries benefiting from each other in their respective national development.
“The Government and people of Vietnam are very pleased with the new step to develop our traditional relationship and cooperation. We would like to further out bilateral relations,” Ambassador Do Ba Khao stated.
Delivering remarks, President Granger outlined that both Guyana and Vietnam have identified similar areas such as coast to coast protection, forest protection, bio-diversity cultivation as sustainable development priorities in their environmental strategies.
He recognised too that the countries have both adopted the 2020-2030 agenda for Sustainable Development as well as signed the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change. To this end, the Guyana Leader underscored the progress Vietnam has made in these areas, saying Guyana in pushing its green economy agenda, looks forward to benefit from its 42-year-old diplomatic relationship with Vietnam.
Meanwhile, President Granger in his remarks to the non-resident Mauritian diplomat, Sooroojdev Phokeer, outlined that the adverse effects of climate change pose common challenges to the national development goals of the two countries.
On this note, the Head of State pointed to the need for Guyana and Mauritius, as member countries of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States, to continue cooperation within that framework on matters relating to Small States.
“Guyana looks forward to consolidating its cooperation with Mauritius… (since it) is moving towards the establishment of a green state; one that will place emphasis on the protection of our environment, on the preservation of our biodiversity, the provision of ecotourism and eco-educational services, and on the promotion of renewal energy and practicable measure to ensure climate adaptation,” the President noted.
The Mauritian High Commissioner, on the other hand, said this renewed bi-lateral relations would pave the way for the two countries to achieve common goals as Small States.
“Guyana and Mauritius as Small States rely on credible international institutions to realise our economic potential… I have no doubt that the Republic of Mauritius and the Cooperative Republic of Guyana will continue to work hand-in-hand to further our bilateral relations to achieve common goals and objectives,” High Commissioner Phokeer noted.
Diplomatic ties between Guyana and Mauritius was established in December 1992.