President meets with Japan’s Prime Minister – encourages investment in mineral extraction

Written by  Gina Webmasters, Published in News, Source - GINA

Meeting between President Donald Ramotar and Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe

President Donald Ramotar joined CARICOM Heads of Government in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago today for a meeting with His Excellency Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan.  This was the First Summit meeting of CARICOM Heads of State and Government and their Japanese counterpart and took place as the countries are celebrating in 2014 CARICOM-Japan Friendship Year, to mark 20 years since their first formal engagement in 1993.

The discussions centered on the vulnerabilities faced by CARICOM Member towards achieving sustainable economic growth, strengthening the relations between Japan and CARICOM at the bilateral level and enhancing cooperation at the multilateral level.

In his intervention, President Ramotar expressed his appreciation for Prime Minister Abe’s recognition of the developmental challenges of CARICOM Member States particular the issue of graduation which has seen those Member States now qualified as middle or high income countries no longer being eligible for concessional loans and grants from international financial institutions.

He acknowledged Prime Minister Abe’s stated support to represent the position of CARICOM Member States on this issue in the forums of the developed countries.

President Ramotar highlighted financing for development as one of the eight Millennium Development Goals that was still to reach its target as very few developed countries had made good on the pledge of 0.7% of GDP towards developmental assistance to vulnerable countries. 

He requested Prime Minister Abe’s further support in advancing the need for this commitment to be met.

With reference to climate change, President Ramotar thanked Prime Minister Abe for his Government’s assistance to CARICOM Member States in the area of humanitarian responses to natural disasters and in the promotion of measures to address adaptation, mitigation and disaster risk reduction.

In their bilateral meeting, the leaders of Guyana and Japan took the opportunity to reiterate their desire to enhance the relations of the two countries.  President Ramotar referred to renewable energy, infrastructure and science and technology as areas where Guyana could benefit from Japan’s expertise and assistance.  He also encouraged investment from Japanese companies particularly in the area of extraction of minerals.  It was agreed that the two sides would pursue these and other areas of cooperation in the near future.

President Ramotar was accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, and Ambassador Elisabeth Harper, Director General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

(Foreign Affairs-July 30, 2014)