Hundreds of persons on Friday flocked to the Diplomatic Fair hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at D’Urban Park, where representatives from various foreign missions in Guyana and local organisations set up booths to display their culture and various services offered.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Karen Cummings said that the event was hosted to mark the grand occasion of Guyana celebrating 50 years as a republic and served as an opportunity for the countries represented here to also showcase on their art, culture and cuisine.
The event turned out to be quite a success. Asked whether the fair will become an annual one, the minister said that the idea of having a diplomatic fair every year is one to be considered based on the response seen on Friday.
Those represented at the fair were the Embassy of Suriname, the High Commission of India, the Embassy of the Russian Federation, the Embassy of the Federative Republic of Brazil, the Embassy of the Republic of Chile, the Embassy of the United Mexican States, the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China, the Embassy of the United States of America, the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Suriname, the Embassy of the Republic of Cuba, the Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, the Embassy of the Argentine Republic, the Delegation of the European Union, the High Commission of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the High Commis-sion of the United Kingdom, the High Commission of Canada, the United Nations, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Caribbean Community Secretariat, Iwokrama, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Among those in attendance were a number of students, many of whom were mostly engrossed with China’s booth as they were given blank face masks to paint. The booth was also clustered by persons wishing to have their names written in ink on paper napkins.
Another small crowd formed around several men playing Mexican instruments, enjoying the entertainment, and trying on their sombreros, while the Brazil and Argentine booths were in demand specifically for their Caipirinha cocktails and their red wine and empanadas, respectively. Several youngsters still in school enquired about the scholarships offered by the Indonesia contingent got even more interested when they learnt that the famous Bali island was among their islands. Meanwhile, others appeared more interested in the IDB presence in Guyana and some of the projects they have funded. Probably the booth that garnered the most “awes” was the one belonging to the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, where astonished persons enquired whether the precious stones before their eyes were found locally. The stones presented were displayed in both raw form and what it looked like after being polished. Most of the persons purchasing from this booth preferred the gems in their raw state.
The opening ceremony of the event saw representatives from the countries entertaining an audience with cultural songs and dances. The event, which extended into the afternoon, included some of the finest local talents about. Among them was a puppet show put on by UNESCO/Merundoi, steel pan renditions by the Bishops’ High School band, and musical performances by Juke Ross and Chutney Monarch Steven Ramphal.
