Guyana and Venezuela building on strong foundation– President after meeting Venezuela’s Foreign Minister

Venezuela’s Minister of Foreign Affairs ElÍas Jaua Milano wrapped up a productive official one-day visit to Guyana today, engaging the Guyana Government in an ongoing commitment to strengthen bilateral ties.

In the company of a delegation that included Nutrition and Food Safety Minister Felix Osorio, the Foreign Affairs Minister met President Donald Ramotar for talks at his office before signing agreements to strengthen cooperation in the fight against illegal drug and another for rice export rice to Venezuela.

Two years ago, the two countries built on progress in trade relations with an agreement paving the way for Guyana to export rice and paddy into the Venezuelan market. This new deal builds on that agreement, upping the quantity supplied to 140,000 tonnes of paddy and 70,000 tonnes of white rice.

It was a reciprocal component of the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez’s PetroCaribe initiative that allowed Guyana and other signatories to benefit from subsidised fuel from Venezuela.

President Donald Ramotar greets Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Elias Jaua Milano during a courtesy call by the Minister and his delegation

Rice farmers and millers across Guyana were able to secure a preferential market and the phenomenal growth that the country’s rice sector has made today is part attributable to the Venezuelan market under PetroCaribe.

Speaking to Venezuela’s Telesur, in the company of Minister Milano and his delegation, President Ramotar gave credit to the admired late President and his successor, Nicolas Maduro who was recently inaugurated President of the Bolivarian Republic.

“We have been enjoying very good relationship from the time that President Chavez took charge of Venezuela and we are building on that strong foundation that he has left… we had some discussion about areas that we can deepen our cooperation both in the economic and social fields,” President Ramotar said.

President Donald Ramotar and Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Elias Jaua Milano in discussion

He considers the visit of the Foreign Minister another important step in strengthening relations between the Government and peoples of the two countries and assured that more engagements of this nature will be encouraged.

President Ramotar who was an invitee at the inauguration ceremony of President Maduro on April 19, used today’s occasion to extend best wishes to the new Venezuelan leader and “friendly greetings” on behalf of the people of Guyana to their Venezuelan counterparts.

The Hugo ChÁvez Centre for Rehabilitation and Reintegration at Onverwagt, West Coast Berbice is also a product of the Guyana Venezuela partnership

The US$2M Venezuelan Government funded project to provide refuge for the destitute in Guyana was constructed on 7.30 acres of land.