European Union

Georgetown, April 20, 2012

On 23 April, 2012, Ms. Jolita Butkeviciene, Director of Latin America and the Caribbean of European Commission's Directorate for Development and Cooperation (DEVCO), begins a working visit to Guyana which will enable her to assess Guyana's capacity to improve in its development cooperation relations with the European Union.

During her three day visit Ms. Butkeviciene will meet His Excellency the President, Donald Ramotar, the Honorable Prime Minister, Samuel Hinds, the Honorable Foreign Affairs Minister, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, the Honorable Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh, the Honorable Minister for Public Works, Robeson Benn and Speaker of National Assembly Raphael Trotman. She will also meet with the Leader of the Opposition David Granger, private sector representatives, Ambassadors of neighboring countries, the British, Canadian and American Heads of Mission, as well as the acting Secretary General of CARICOM and the Director General of CARIFORUM.

Director Butkeviciene will visit key projects supported with EU funding including the sea defences, the Ogle international airport and the mangrove restoration projects. She will also have discussions with representatives of the sugar industry and visit the GUYSUCO operations at Enmore.

At the end of her mission on April 25, 2012, Ms. Butkeviciene will be in a position to better assess Guyana's capacity to deal effectively with the EU and to better program EU development cooperation as a consequence. Her visit also marks a historic milestone in EU/Guyana relations as it is the first for a high level official from the EU headquarters in Brussels under the 10th EDF programme cycle which began in 2007.