Former Minister of Energy and Energy Affairs of Trinidad and Tobago Kevin Ramnarine believes United States Secretary of State Michael Pompeo’s visit to Guyana indicates that the Caribbean country is becoming more valuable to the world leading economic power.
Guyana began producing oil in December 2019 and it is projected that by 2025, the South American country can have as many as five Floating Production Storage and Offloading Vessels (FPSOs) producing some 750,000 barrels of oil per day. The country has been exporting light, sweet crude oil to markets in Europe and Asia, elevating its status as a world player in the industry.
Speaking in an article out of the Twin-Island Republic, Ramnarine said too that the visit is an endorsement of the new Guyana government, led by President Mohamed Irfaan Ali.
Pompeo, the first US Secretary of State and the highest-ranking US government official to visit Guyana, departed the South American oil producing country on Friday.
“It demonstrates the importance of Guyana to the United States and it is an endorsement of the PPP (People’s Progressive Party/Civic) Government led by President Mohamed Irfaan Ali. Secretary Pompeo was a major part of the international pressure that was applied to ensure the recount of the March 2, 2020 and the end to the five-month hiatus,” Ramnarine is quoted as saying. “He was supported in this effort by Caricom, the OAS (Organisation of the American States), the Commonwealth Secretariat, Canada and the European Union (EU),”
During a joint press briefing on Friday, the Guyanese President said that he and Pompeo did not discuss ExxonMobil during their meeting. He said they spoke about opportunities for foreign investment in Guyana’s oil and gas sector. At the press conference Pompeo said that the two sides discussed “strengthening our relationship for the benefit of all Guyanese and all Americans.”
Speculation has been rife as to the purpose of the visit and the intention of the United States with regards to security issues in the hemisphere.
However, Pompeo pointed out that the United States will not engage in conditional support and investment with Guyana. “The United States model is to build out on the best things of your country. We’ll show up, we’ll bring capital, we’ll bring resources, we’ll often bring technological capabilities that are much needed to develop resources, develop infrastructure to your country but we don’t do so with political strings tied to them,” he affirmed.
