VP discusses Guyana’s O&G management with US Foreign Relations Committee

Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has revealed that his discussions with the United States Foreign Relations Committee included the government’s management of the oil and gas sector.

It was reported that Jagdeo on Tuesday met JC Jain, Senior Foreign Policy Advisor for Senator Tim Kaine; Victor Cervino, Senior Advisor on Western Hemisphere and International Law Enforcement, and, Andy Olson, Deputy Staff Director for Senate Foreign Relations.
Also, part of the meeting were Adrienne Galanek, Deputy Chief of Mission at the United States Embassy, and others from the US Embassy.
During his weekly press conference on Wednesday, the Vice President was asked to provide feedback on that meeting.
“It went extremely well,” he remarked.
According to Jagdeo, they spoke a lot about “how we intend to manage the (oil) resources in a manner that will ensure precisely what I said to you, long-term prosperity for Guyana.”
“We made it clear that given our history of managing a bankrupt country that the Peoples Progressive Party has developed the tools and the orientation to treat even windfall gains that we may have…equipped with that experience when we could not find money to even pay debts, that we’re equipped with the tools to manage these resources sustainably,” he added.
The Vice President said he also told the delegation of his government’s efforts in dealing with issues of corruption and accountability.
Additionally, Jagdeo said he used the opportunity to clarify a number of distortions on various topics that they would have received from other sources.
“We had a really good conversation,” the vice president said.
Guyana-US bilateral relations
Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud had also met with the delegation.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minsitry said “the delegation is currently in Guyana to garner a better understanding of Guyana- US bilateral relations through engagements with local authorities on investment, governance and security matters.”
In this regard, it was explained that the Foreign Secretary provided an overview of the status of Guyana-US bilateral relations which have intensified over the past four to five years through active and structured engagements on all fronts of cooperation.
“These include recent high- level visits between the two countries from both the government and commercial sectors, as well as the establishment of the Guyana- USA Strategic Dialogue held in July 2024. He noted that the US is Guyana’ s highest investor and a key trading partner in the Western Hemisphere. Guyana and the United States also collaborate closely within the United Nations Security Council on peace and security matters, including the establishment of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) in Haiti. The Foreign Secretary acknowledged and commended the United States’ support for Guyana’s territorial integrity and sovereignty,” the statement outlined.
Moreover, the Ministry revealed that the US representatives assured of Congress’ bipartisan support for the US- Guyana bilateral relations.
“In this regard, the US undertakes a long-term collaborative approach to support Guyana’s development based on trust and mutual respect. The representatives underscored the importance of democratic institutions and legislation to counter money laundering and corruption, which are key to enhancing investment and commercial activities in the country. In addition to partnering with Guyana in these areas, the representatives affirmed the US’ commitment to working with countries in the region to enhance hemispheric security through information sharing, and enhanced interoperability and compatibility,” the statement highlighted.
At the conclusion of the meeting, both sides agreed to remain engaged and to work on future areas of cooperation which would seek to further enhance the Guyana-US bilateral relations, the ministry noted. (G11)