GEORGETOWN, Guyana – Guyana and Japan are discussing ways to deepen commercial and trade ties as Guyana undergoes rapid economic transformation and expansion across all sectors.
Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh with the State Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Iwao Horii. (Photo credit: DPI)Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, met with Japan’s State Minister of Foreign Affairs, Iwao Horii, and a Japanese delegation at the Ministry of Finance on Wednesday.
The discussions also focused on furthering the long-standing bilateral partnership between the two countries in several sectors.
Singh said Guyana was interested in exploring deeper economic, commercial and trade ties with Japan, including having more Japanese companies present in Guyana.
“We will be very interested in exploring how we can achieve deeper and more economic, commercial and trade ties, and having more Japanese companies present in Guyana, and we’re happy to speak with you about how that can be achieved,” Singh said.
He said Horii’s visit sent “a very clear signal at a very high level of the Japanese commitment to deepen this relationship”.
Singh also pointed to Japan’s industrial and technological capabilities as areas from which Guyana could learn and benefit.
“Japan is one of the most industrialised countries of the world with one of the largest economies, the best technology and some of the world’s largest and most sophisticated companies,” he said.
Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh meets with the State Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Iwao Horii (centre) and Ambassador of Japan to Guyana, His Excellency Akima Umezawa. (Photo credit: DPI)
“So, you’re in a position where there is much that we can learn from Japan and Japanese companies, and there’s much that we can benefit from the experience that Japan has and Japanese companies have,” Singh added.
Horii said Japan recognised the importance of strengthening relations with Guyana, which he said had been experiencing “remarkable economic growth”.
He said the meeting was timely ahead of the 60th anniversary next year of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Guyana.
Horii was accompanied by Japan’s non-resident Ambassador to Guyana, Akima Umezawa, and other officials, while Singh was accompanied by a team from the Ministry of Finance.
The Japanese government has been assisting Guyana in several areas in support of the government’s policy of improving the quality of citizens’ lives.
In January, the two countries signed a concessional agreement to upgrade water treatment infrastructure in Diamond on the East Bank of Demerara.
The visit by Horii serves as an important catalyst to further strengthen bilateral cooperation and explore new areas of mutual economic growth between the two countries.
