Guyana’s highest national award was tonight conferred on outgoing Brazilian at the National Cultural Centre.
Popularly known as Lula, the President has presided over Brazil’s rise as a South American power house and a player on the world’s stage including an attempt at mediation of the Iranian nuclear power crisis.
Lula is here for the UNASUR summit.
Prior to the conferral of the award, President Bharrat Jagdeo paid rich tribute to Lula.
He said in part “In Guyana, we have benefited from President Lula’s solidarity over many years. The physical, economic, social and personal links between our countries are stronger than ever, and are laying the foundations for the full realization of Guyana’s South American destiny.
“For years in Guyana, we worked within our society to reach a point where our democratic institutions are firmly in place, our public finances are under control, our health, education and other social services are being continuously improved for the benefit of our people, and our public infrastructure and national policies have been reformed to enable the private sector to take advantage of the many opportunities presented by the modern world.
“But we are also excited by the new potential t we can reach as the bridge between South America and the Caribbean.
“President Lula and I opened the Takutu Bridge last year – this is a potent symbol of the strengthening bonds between our peoples and in particular, the new economic opportunities that can be realized by citizens and businesses in both Guyana and Northern Brazil. These new opportunities are in no small part thanks to President Lula.”
President Lula then addressed the assemblage which included heads of several UNASUR countries.
