Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance Dr Ashni Singh and Japan’s State Minister of Foreign Affairs Iwao Horii yesterday discussed expanding commercial and trade relations between the two countries.
According to a Ministry of Finance release, the talks were held at the ministry and included possible cooperation across several sectors as Guyana seeks to attract greater Japanese investment and expertise.
Singh said Guyana was interested in increasing the presence of Japanese companies here and exploring ways to strengthen economic and commercial ties.
“We will be very interested in exploring how we can achieve deeper economic, commercial and trade ties and have more Japanese companies present in Guyana,” Singh was quoted as saying.
He noted Japan’s position as one of the world’s most industrialised economies and said Guyana could benefit from the country’s technology and the experience of Japanese companies.
Horii, meanwhile, expressed Japan’s interest in strengthening relations with Guyana, particularly in light of the country’s rapid economic growth.
“I recognise the great importance of strengthening relations with your country, which has been experiencing remarkable economic growth,” he said.
The discussions were held ahead of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Guyana and Japan, which will be observed next year.
Horii was accompanied by Japan’s non-resident Ambassador to Guyana Akima Umezawa and other officials, while Singh was joined by a team from the Ministry of Finance.
Japan has supported several projects in Guyana. In January, the two countries signed a concessional financing agreement for the upgrading of water-treatment infrastructure at Diamond, East Bank Demerara.
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