Guyana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge, said the Memorandum of Understanding to be signed between Guyana and its Trinidadian counterpart later this month will in no way adversely affect the country’s development, but rather strengthen it.
Speaking at a news conference earlier on Monday, Greenidge sought to further justify the country’s push to sign the MOU.
He said, “The MOU with Trinidad and Tobago and the Framework agreement is no different from any of the others. As a matter of a fact in 1999 the Government of the two countries signed an MOU. It was signed and no riot occurred, no sector was destroyed there was no apocalypse and I am sure that this will not happen on this occasion either.”
He told media operatives at his South Road Georgetown office that, “I get a little sad when I see the difficulty that we have in understanding the significance of (such) instruments.”
In further explaining the significance of the process, he also stated that MOUs are a statement of intent, signed between two countries and they deal with general principles, whether it is to collaborate on
The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) recently expressed concern about the MoU signing saying that in the era of oil and gas, steps must be taken to ensure no agreement or statement of intent allow for a situation that puts Guyanese businesses at a disadvantage.
While the MOU is expected to be signed in the coming days, no additional details on the content of the agreement were forthcoming.
With the closure of the Trinidad and Tobago State-owned oil company, Petrotrin, Guyana will be now forced to look at other avenues for the purchase of its oil, to which, Minister Greenidge informed reporters that the matter is already being discussed at the level of Cabinet.
