Chile’s Head of State Michelle Bachelet, last night arrived in Guyana to participate in 37th Conference of Heads of Governments of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) being held over the next two days.
Bachelet is also expected to participate in bilateral talks with Heads during her visit, the Government Information Agency (GINA) said. GINA said the purpose of the visit is aimed at strengthening ties between Caricom states and the South American country.
The Chilean Head of State and her delegation were officially welcomed by Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).
Nagamootoo told GINA that the visit of President Bachelet signals greater collaboration and cooperation between Chile and Caricom. “For the Caribbean we have to move away from this mono-culture economy to scientific revolution and Chile has been developing in that direction,” Nagamootoo said, according to GINA.
Nagamootoo also said that “Chile can be described as a country of great democracy and one from which Guyana can learn.” He added “It is one of the fastest growing economies concentrating more on manufacturing and processing.”
The Caricom-Chile Joint Commission was established in 1996. The aim of the Joint Commission is to forge closer ties between Caricom member states and the Republic of Chile in trade, economic, scientific, technical and cultural areas.
There was also the signing of an Agreement on Scientific and Technical Co-operation between both parties. The inaugural meeting was held in Santiago de Chile in June 2003, GINA said.
Following a nine-year hiatus, the second meeting of the Caricom-Chile Joint Commission took place in 2012, according to GINA.
