GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC – The President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has invited Guyana to participate in the G20 talks on climate change, as the two South American neighbors have renewed their commitment to foster trade and investment in the areas of commerce, infrastructure development, air, and water transportation, energy and food security among other critical areas.
President Irfaan Ali and the Brazilian President made the announcements during a joint press conference on Thursday after concluding bilateral talks.
Lula, who is on a campaign to revive his “the Integration of the South” policy, said Brazil is interested in advancing discussions with Guyana on various issues.
He said Brazil had invited Guyana to participate in the G20 meetings on climate change, given Guyana’s track record in forest preservation.
“Guyana is undergoing tremendous endeavors to take care of its forest, and that’s why I invited Guyana to participate, as Brazil chairing the G20, in the climate change discussion at the G20. So that they can present the monetization model that they are undertaking here, in terms of preserving the Guyana forest,” Lula said.
Under its Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030, Guyana is using its natural resources to combat global climate change while building a foundation for a sustainable, low-carbon economy.
Under that strategy, Guyana signed a REDD+ Carbon Credit Purchase Agreement with Hess Corporation in 2022, which led to the oil company buying high-quality carbon credits from Guyana.
According to Lula, with Guyana undergoing “fast-paced” development, there is also significant room for investments in a broad cross-section of areas. As such, he has invited Guyana to send a Business Mission to Brazil to explore areas for trade and investment.
“I asked President Ali to prepare a business mission, that they come and visit Brazil soon to show to the Brazilian business sector the opportunities that Guyana offers Brazilian investors in the mining field, the energy field, the oil field, and in the agriculture field and also energy transition,” President Lula told reporters.
With 12,000 Brazilians living here, Guyana is also interested in the integration process. Lula said Brazil is more than willing to provide Guyana access to Brazilian agricultural goods, mainly through the State of Roraima.
President Ali said President Lula’s commitment to regional integration and focus on people-led development serves the South American region well.
“President Lula’s commitment to CARICOM and Guyana is enormous. His focus is on integrating our people, our culture, our infrastructure, and working on a common agenda in addressing important global issues like energy, climate, and food security,” President Ali said while commending Lula’s leadership.
The President also said Guyana and Brazil now have the opportunity to integrate their economies and create enormous opportunities for the people of both countries.
“We discussed not only the connectivity of infrastructure through roads, ports, and air transport, but we discussed the connectivity of our peoples, the role of the private sector, the involvement of the private sector, and how we can get our private sectors more integrated to look at the opportunities that exist in both Guyana and Brazil and to look at ways in which we can bring them together in making use of those opportunities,” Ali said.
He confirmed that Guyana will put together a Government-Private Sector Delegation to visit Brazil to explore opportunities for investment and cooperation. That visit is expected to occur in this year’s second quarter.
The President also said a technical working group would be established to mobilize finances to deploy investments in various projects for Guyana and Brazil.
The two sides also discussed cooperation in the area of defense and security, as well as tourism.
Lula arrived in Guyana on Wednesday to attend the 46th Regular Meeting of the Conference of CARICOM Heads of Government. From Guyana, he is expected to travel to St Vincent and the Grenadines, where the CELAC summit is taking place tomorrow.
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