By Kurt Campbell
kurt@newsroom.gy
President Irfaan Ali reassured the United States on Thursday that all international and local labour laws would be strictly adhered to as Guyana continues to expand its workforce to meet the demands of its growing economy.
He also stressed that the U.S., as a “great friend,” deserves preferential treatment in the nation’s ongoing development efforts, underscoring the special bond between the two nations.
The statement came during a joint press conference with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) aimed at enhancing security cooperation between Guyana and the U.S.
The MOU, signed by Secretary of State Rubio and Guyana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Hugh Todd, outlines a collaborative approach to addressing regional challenges such as narcotics trafficking, transnational organised crime, and broader security concerns. The agreement also lays the groundwork for greater cooperation in trade, energy, human capital development, and infrastructure.
In his remarks, President Ali noted the enduring and strong partnership between Guyana and the United States, which is built on shared values of democracy, peace, and respect for international law. He emphasised that these principles form the foundation of their bilateral relationship.
“And continues to be a strong advocate for Guyana’s development, democracy and peace. It’s consistently demonstrated his personal commitment that is the national rule of law, democracy and security,” President Ali stated.
He went on to highlight the significant progress made during the visit, consolidating the bilateral agenda and defining clear policies in areas ranging from security to trade, energy, and regional stability.
“Guyana and the United States share a long bond of friendship and partnership. Indeed, the best of partnerships are those built on shared values, mutual trust and a commitment to the rule of law and international order,” President Ali said.
“This is what underpins our bilateral relationship and friendship.”
On security, President Ali reiterated that the two nations were working hand-in-hand to ensure that transnational crime, including drug trafficking, human trafficking, money laundering, and smuggling, is countered effectively.
“This visit has allowed us to consolidate our bilateral agenda. Defining policies and outlining clear intentions in areas of security, trade, energy, investments, infrastructure, democracy, regional peace and stability, human capital deployment, and development,” he explained.
The president also reassured his U.S. counterpart that Guyana would continue to ensure compliance with both international and local labour laws, particularly as the country addresses a critical shortage of skilled workers in key sectors such as healthcare.
“We have reassured our partner that we’ll continue to ensure all international and local labour laws are adhered to, and they’re hiring of regional and international labour force, with our expanding healthcare system and critical shortage of human capital, we’ll explore areas of collaboration in filling existing gaps,” President Ali added.
Addressing the broader strategic implications of the partnership, the president affirmed that Guyana is committed to safeguarding its territorial integrity and sovereignty, with a joint commitment to protect the region from disruptive forces that threaten democracy and the rule of law.
“We are able to identify key infrastructures that are also critical to regional development as possible areas for investment and development,” he stated.
The U.S. Secretary of State echoed these sentiments, underscoring the continued importance of collaboration between the two nations, particularly in energy, regional security, and trade.
President Ali concluded his remarks by expressing his gratitude for the U.S.’s unwavering support and commitment to Guyana’s development. Reflecting on the deep friendship between the two nations, he boldly stated that such a friend deserves preferential treatment, especially when standing by Guyana in times of need.
“We have a responsibility to our friends. The U.S. is a great friend of ours,” President Ali remarked. “The U.S. would have made it very clear that they are ready to stand by us in our development, in our economic expansion, in our security and in our defense, and I will say, very boldly that such friends must have some different and preferential treatment. Because a friend who will defend me, when I need a friend to defend me, it must be a friend that enjoys a space in our hearts and country.”
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