Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud met with Mr. Paul Whittingham, Deputy Director for Trade for Development at the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), on January 30, 2025, to discuss enhancing bilateral trade relations between Guyana and the United Kingdom (UK). Mr. Whittingham was accompanied by UK High Commissioner Her Excellency Jane Miller and was in Guyana for the CARIFORUM/UK Sub-Committee on Development Cooperation at CARICOM’s Secretariat.
Mr. Whittingham highlighted the United Kingdom’s interest in exploring trade opportunities within the Caribbean, with an emphasis on fostering economic growth, diversification, and strengthening development cooperation. He also discussed the UK’s commitment to sustainable trade practices, including the introduction of climate-related measures such as carbon pricing. He further expressed the UK’s willingness to support developing nations in playing a greater role in rule-setting at the multilateral level.
In response, Foreign Secretary Persaud noted the significant growth in trade relations between Guyana and the United Kingdom in recent years and emphasized the potential for further strengthening these ties. He highlighted that technological transfer would be crucial to enhancing the relationship, adding that Guyana’s government is positioning the country as a regional leader with a knowledge and service-based economy. As part of this strategy, the government is investing in sectors such as tourism, digitalization, health, e-services, and climate services.
Both parties agreed that there are ample opportunities to explore new ways to improve trade. They acknowledged the importance of increasing awareness about the mechanisms in place to facilitate trade and emphasized the essential role of the business sectors in both countries to maximize these opportunities.
