Guyana, Qatar sign agreements on economic, technical cooperation

– Pres Ali welcomes Qatar’s plans for diplomatic mission in Georgetown

In a historic visit to Guyana’s shores, the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani touched down at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri, on Tuesday for a one-day visit.
During the visit, he met with President Dr Irfaan Ali and members of the Cabinet, during which discussions were held on a number of bilateral areas of interest between the two nations. In addition, several bilateral agreements were inked.
The agreements are aimed at enhancing relations between the countries, especially in areas of economic, commercial, and technical cooperation. According to a Joint Communiqué issued by the two countries, fruitful discussions were held on a wide range of issues of mutual interest, to strengthen their bilateral relations.
Both countries pledged to prioritise sustainable practices and environmentally friendly technologies in their infrastructure projects, with the aim of ensuring they reach sustainable development goals and reduce the environmental impact of these projects.

In fact, the Emir, who arrived in Guyana at the invitation of President Ali, reaffirmed his country’s willingness to support Guyana’s road infrastructure redevelopment initiatives. During the Emir’s visit, the two leaders held bilateral discussions on mutual areas of interest after which their delegations joined for plenary discussions.
“The leaders underscored the importance of promoting bilateral trade and investment and noted the significant potential for collaboration in sectors such as agriculture, renewable energy, infrastructure development, and tourism. They encouraged business communities from both countries to explore opportunities for partnerships and investment,” the communiqué said.
“Both leaders expressed their satisfaction with the existing friendly relations between Qatar and Guyana and recognised the potential to further strengthen cooperation in various fields, including trade, investment, energy, education, health, and culture.”
Additionally, the two leaders emphasised the importance of regional and international cooperation in addressing global challenges including climate change, terrorism and promoting peace and security.
“They pledged to work together at global forums to advance their shared objectives, contributing to global peace and security. In an effort to enhance bilateral ties, Guyana and Qatar have signed an Agreement to encourage and protect mutual investment between the two countries,” the joint communiqué said.
“Both states signed another Agreement regarding economic, commercial and technical cooperation between the Government of the State of Qatar and the Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, as well as a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Legal Cooperation.

Other outcomes
Tuesday’s visit is a follow-up to President Ali’s visit in May during which the two leaders initiated bilateral discussions. A significant milestone was also achieved during President Ali’s previous visit to Qatar, as Guyana’s embassy was also opened there. During a press conference on Saturday, President Ali had divulged that Qatar is also exploring the option of opening an embassy here.

According to the communiqué, both leaders expressed confidence that this mission would increase the spotlight on bilateral relations between the two countries and help build bridges of cooperation and fraternity. According to them, it would also contribute to strengthening joint work in the bilateral framework, and within the framework of international cooperation.
“Lastly, both leaders expressed their confidence in the prospects for enhanced cooperation between Qatar and Guyana and agreed to work together to further strengthen their bilateral relations. They expressed continued dialogue to advance cooperation,” the joint communiqué said.
Guyana and Qatar established bilateral relations in 1996. Qatar is among several Arab nations that have expressed interest in investing in Guyana. President Ali has, on multiple occasions, spoken about the tremendous growth in the relationship between Guyana and Qatar, especially in the promotion of peace, stability and sustainability.
During the ceremony for the inauguration of the Guyanese embassy in Doha, Qatar, in May, the Head of State said there is much to learn from Qatar within a number of areas, including energy, climate change, and food security.
The State of Qatar is among several Middle Eastern nations that had expressed serious interest in investing in various sectors in Guyana during President Ali’s visit in 2021 for the Dubai World Expo.
In February this year, it was announced that Guyana would be receiving help with the oil and gas sector from Qatar. Specifically, Qatar would be helping Guyana create a gas utilisation and monetisation plan.
The monetisation plan will be applicable when the gas-to-energy project is commissioned. It was also reported that Guyana was in talks with Qatar, among other countries, on the possibility of directly allocating offshore blocks for oil and gas exploration. (J-3)