Guyana, Jamaica move to deepen ties in energy, security agriculture

…as PM Holness, delegation in G/Town for 2-day visit

The Prime Minister (PM) of Jamaica, Dr Andrew Holness, is currently on an official state visit in Guyana to have bilateral talks with President Dr Irfaan Ali in a number of areas ranging from energy, security, agriculture and Government efficiency, among others.

This two-day state visit to Georgetown, at the invitation of President Ali, provides an important opportunity to further strengthen the longstanding partnership between Guyana and Jamaica.
PM Holness and his team arrived at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) on Thursday morning and were received by Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips and acting Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Frank Anthony with a military salute.
The Jamaican leader then travelled to Georgetown, where he met with President Ali at the Office of the President.
There, the two sides engaged in bilateral discussions that focused on further strengthening the longstanding friendship and strategic partnership between the two Caribbean nations, while also exploring opportunities to expand collaboration across several key sectors.
According to President Ali in a Facebook post following Thursday’s meeting, they are looking at “…advancing cooperation on matters of mutual interest, including but not limited to technology, education, energy, security, Government efficiency, agriculture, and housing, among other areas of collaboration.”
The Guyanese Head of State was joined by several Cabinet Members during the high-level engagement with the Jamaican officials. The meeting reaffirmed the commitment of both nations to deepening regional cooperation and advancing sustainable development for the benefit of their peoples.

New opportunities
Meanwhile, PM Holness, in a post upon his arrival in Guyana, said he was looking forward to a successful visit.
In a subsequent social media post on X following the meeting with President Ali, he said, “Jamaica and Guyana continue to build on a longstanding friendship. Today’s discussions focused on creating new opportunities for our people through greater cooperation in key areas of development and growth.”
According to the PM, Jamaica and Guyana have enjoyed strong diplomatic ties since 1969, and Thursday’s engagement saw the two nations taking their relationship forward and strengthening it even further.
“As we discuss opportunities for partnership and collaboration in areas such as agriculture, technology, housing, education, and energy, Jamaica looks forward to strong outcomes from our discussions,” PM Holness noted in his social media post.
The Jamaican leader is accompanied by his Foreign Affairs Minister Kamina Johnson Smith and Industry Minister Aubyn Hill for his Georgetown visit.
They also attended the opening ceremony of the International Building Expo held on Thursday evening, where PM Holness also delivered remarks.
The PM state visit comes months after Guyana mobilised a humanitarian mission to Jamaica shortly after the island nation was battered by Hurricane Melissa in late October 2025.
President Ali was part of a high-level goodwill mission, comprising several Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Heads of Government as well as other regional and international officials, that travelled to Jamaica to undertake a post-Hurricane Melissa assessment.
During that visit, Guyana had signalled strong solidarity with its sister CARICOM nation and committed to supporting Jamaica’s recovery efforts.
In fact, a 41-member team from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF)’s Four Engineers Battalion was deployed in early December to Jamaica, where they played a critical role in post-disaster reconstruction.
During the 114-day deployment, the team successfully rehabilitated over 200 homes for vulnerable families in communities across Jamaica. Their work was supported by the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) in Guyana and the Private Sector Commission (PSC) here, which provided the building materials for the repairs.
When the GDF contingent returned to Guyana in April of this year, they were conferred with the Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response Medal by President Ali in recognition of their outstanding service and contribution to rebuilding efforts in severely affected communities.
On Thursday evening, President Ali told Jamaica’s prime minister, Andrew Holness, during the launch of the 2026 International Expo that the second tranche of post-hurricane assistance will be deployed soon.