President Donald Ramotar greeting New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray Mc Cully

PRESIDENT Donald Ramotar received a courtesy call earlier this week from New Zealand Foreign Minister, Murray Mc Cully, at the presidential complex in Georgetown.

Minister Mc Cully explained that he will be in Guyana for two days to address the Caricom Foreign Ministers meeting and lobby for the Region’s support as his country contests a seat on the United Nations’ Security Council, later this year.

Non-resident New Zealand High Commissioner, Jan Henderson, President Donald Ramotar, New Zealand Foreign Minister, Murray Mc Cully, and Foreign Affairs Minister, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett

He said that countries such as his, in the South Pacific and the Caribbean have similar challenges and are seeking similar solutions to address these, as well as develop closer ties. The recent appointment of Ambassador Jan Henderson, Ambassador to Guyana and Barbados is another indication of the value his country places on the relationship between itself and the Caribbean, he further stated.

Sustainable energy remains a primary focus for New Zealand, as well as for Caricom member states, the ambassador noted. “The countries of the Pacific spend about 10% of their GDP, about 25 to 30% of their total import bills on diesel for electricity generation and we are on a crash course to try and increase the renewable component from 5 % to 50%. That’s where the bulk of that development and partnerships go in the Pacific at the moment”.

He added that some of the Caricom countries have geo-thermal potential and New Zealand has considerable experience in this regard.

In terms of sport, he indicated that the Black Caps cricket team is due to play in the Caribbean very soon and New Zealand is also co-hosting the Cricket World Cup in 2015. These are just additional opportunities for the exchange of cultures and ideas between the two Regions, he noted.

(GINA)