Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d), Mark Phillips underscored Guyana’s commitment to deepening bilateral relations with the State of Qatar during a reception hosted by the Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of Qatar, Mr Mohd Ibrahim K.B. Alrumaih, in commemoration of Qatar’s National Day, held last evening at the Guyana Marriott Hotel, Kingston.
In his address, Prime Minister Phillips conveyed congratulations to His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Amir of the State of Qatar, and extended best wishes to the Government and people of Qatar on behalf of the President, Government, and people of Guyana on the occasion of the 147th anniversary of the nation’s unification.
He emphasised Guyana’s interest in learning from Qatar’s rapid economic transformation and its forward-looking National Vision 2030. He also highlighted the shared commitment of both nations to peaceful international engagement, while lauding Qatar for its “proactive foreign policy, which prioritises diplomacy over confrontation”.
The Prime Minister stated that ties between Guyana and Qatar have strengthened steadily since diplomatic relations were established in 1996.
He highlighted that high-level engagements, the opening of diplomatic offices, the signing of agreements in areas of economic and technical cooperation, and increased Qatari commercial interest have supported the advancement of mutually beneficial cooperation.
Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030 and Qatar’s commitment to carbon neutrality by 2030, the Prime Minister explained, are “shared vision for a greener, more resilient future”.
“Guyana and Qatar exhibit notable parallels in our developmental trajectories, encompassing a commitment to responsible hydrocarbon development alongside investments in renewable energy. We champion economic diversification, especially within agriculture, manufacturing, and services. We view education as a cornerstone of long-term prosperity, and we actively support South-South Cooperation to assist developing nations through technology transfer, capacity building, and development financing.”
Prime Minister Phillips also recognised the deepening cooperation in the energy sector and noted QatarEnergy’s proactive interest in offshore exploration activities in Guyana.
He added that Qatar’s expertise, particularly in liquefied natural gas production and marketing, offers valuable insights as Guyana continues to expand its natural gas capabilities.
Prime Minister Phillips added that Guyana sees Qatar as an important partner as it advances its own development agenda.
“By uniting our efforts, we can demonstrate to the world that nations endowed with abundant resources can act as conscientious stewards, facilitators of peace, and champions of sustainable progress.”
Prime Minister Phillips was joined by his wife, Mrs Mignon Bowen-Phillips; Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister, Kwame McCoy; Minister within the Ministry of Housing, Vanessa Benn; Minister within the Ministry of Agriculture, Vikash Ramkissoon; and members of the diplomatic corps.
