Embassy

Objectives of the Embassy

The main objectives of the Embassy are to:

1. Strengthen political, economic and cultural relations between Guyana and Kuwait (and also between Guyana and other Middle East countries.)

2. Provide consular services to Guyanese and to other nationalities who may want to visit Guyana.

3. Disseminate relevant information on Guyana to Kuwaitis and also to citizens of countries in the Middle East region.

4. Assist Kuwaiti and other Middle East private sector businesses and state-owned enterprises to establish contacts with their Guyanese counterparts, and vice versa.

5. Give guidance to the Guyanese state and private sector in pursuing business ventures in Kuwait and the Middle East.

6. Organise Guyanese participation in business fairs in Kuwait and the Middle East.

7. Maintain contacts and, when possible, participate in activities of multilateral organisations in Kuwait and the Middle East.

8. Lobby the Kuwaiti as well as Middle East governments to support political and economic issues and positions promoted or adopted by Guyana at the United Nations and other international organisations.

9. Follow up on negotiations for the cancellation of debts owed by Guyana to Kuwait and investigate possibilities of obtaining grant aid from Middle East institutions for development projects in Guyana.

10. Maintain friendly relations with Kuwait and other countries in the Middle East.

11. Ensure that Guyana’s political, economic and environmental interests are made known and promoted.

12. Promote Guyana’s development polices in the region.

13. Attract support for Guyana’s development policies, notably, the Low Carbon Development Strategy

Rationale for the establishment of the Embassy

1. The issue of economic development has led to major changes in many countries approach to diplomacy. Thus Economic Diplomacy is now regarded as being of paramount importance. The overall objective of this thrust in diplomacy is for the country to attract foreign investments in its productive resources resulting in the strengthening of its economy. While diplomats can assist in laying the groundwork in their countries of post, the private sector should be involved by trade missions to woo potential investors.

2. The Middle East region possesses great potential in the area of investing in developing countries. Guyana needs investments and so it cannot afford to ignore the Middle East.

3. Other Caribbean countries are looking to the Middle East for investment and aim to establish strong diplomatic ties with the region. Already, Jamaica has set up an embassy in Kuwait and Antigua and Barbuda is expected to do so as well.

4. It is obvious that Guyana’s Embassy in Kuwait can reach out to countries in the region on a continuous and consistent basis.

5. In addition, with the Embassy located in the heart of the Muslim world, Guyana will have easy access to the Islamic Nation States and will be able to use its fraternal connections to obtain political support for Guyana in internal forums such as the United Nations and its related bodies.

6. Further, thorough the established political contacts between Guyana and the countries of the Middle East, assistance can be obtained in attracting investment to Guyana. Currently, there is an increase of Arab investments in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela and Costa Rica. Some of that investment can flow to Guyana, especially with Guyana’s close friendship with South American countries that have large Arab populations, viz., Brazil, Argentina and Venezuela.

7. 7 Priorities of the Embassy in Kuwait > Guyana’s International Border, AID (Education), TRADE, INVESTMENTS, TOURISM, STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS, and OIL & GAS Explorations.

General Background of Guyana-Middle East relations

1. Guyana has strong historical links with the Middle East region. Since 1998 it has participated in the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) – to which all the Arab Middle East countries and Iran are members – and more recently the Arab- South America Summits. Guyana, no doubt, can use these connections to draw down economic support.

2. Further, Guyana has won much respect from Arab states as a result of its participation as a member of the UN Committee on the Exercise of Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, and this can surely help it to win political and economic support from many of the Arab nations.

3. These historical links first promoted by President Cheddi Jagan, who visited the region in 1996, have been strengthened by visits in 2009 and 2010 of His Excellency President Bharrat Jagdeo to the region and also by his personal participation in the Arab-South American Summit in Brazil in 2005 and in Qatar in 2009.

4. A highlight of the President’s visits to the region was his productive discussion in Kuwait in January 2010. He met with the Emir of Kuwait, Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah, and two Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) were signed to advance cultural ties and bilateral investments. Kuwait has since appointed an ambassador to Guyana and agreed in principle to loan Guyana 10 million dollars to develop the housing sector. As a follow-up, a Kuwaiti delegation visited Guyana in February 2010 to finalize a double taxation agreement between the two countries. This was followed by a visit of the Kuwaiti Prime Minister, Sheikh Nassir Al Mohammad Al Ahmad Al Sabah in July 2010. This visit saw the two countries enhancing their cultural, political and economic ties through the signing of five agreements.

These were for

(i) economic and technical cooperation;

(ii) the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income and on capital;

(iii) a bilateral trade agreement;

(iv) an agreement on establishing a joint commission; and

(v) an air services agreement.

5. However, the issue of Guyana’s 50 million dollar outstanding debt to Kuwait is still not resolved.

6. President Jagdeo’s visit to Iran in 2010 included discussions with President Ahmadinejad and the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei. It also resulted in the signing of MOUs which addressed the abolition of visas for holders of diplomatic and service passports, Iran’s development assistance to Guyana. Iran promised Guyana 1.5 million dollars in assistance to its health sector, and to assist the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission to map the mineral resources of Guyana.