GUYANA IMPROVING RELATIONS WITH RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT

By: Ronesha Vickerie

Guyana has boosted their relationship with Russian. Prime Minister Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips on Wednesday said that Guyana and Russia will look to improve their relationship by way of a multi-sectoral approach to business and development.

These remarks were made by the Prime Minister after receiving a courtesy visit from, Mr. Alexander Kurmaz, the Russian Ambassador to Guyana,

The two senior officials discussed mutually beneficial investment opportunities. The Prime Minister noted, “Guyana is open for investment and Russian companies are free to approach us and invest in Guyana, whether it be in ICT, mining, or oil and gas. There are a lot of possibilities for investment from Russian companies.“

The Prime Minister later stated, with regards to the Education sector that, “Russia has always been a source of training for many Guyanese and the partnership will continue to grow.”

Mr. Kurmaz said that among the areas discussed, were scholarships and cooperation between universities in agriculture and other sectors. The Ambassador added that he expects the existing relationship to improve in the coming years.

He said, “…It’s necessary to think about your children and future generations and we have discussed also, opportunities to boost the relations and have a multi-sectoral cooperation between the two countries.”

A visa free agreement between Guyana and Russia was signed five years ago.
Since taking office, the Prime Minister has met with several diplomatic heads to encourage productive relationships.

He has also lobbied for investment in Guyana, especially in the telecommunications sector, which was liberalised this month.