Expanded collaboration in key areas such as agriculture, security, finance and housing
Durrant Pate/Contributor
Jamaica is deepening its collaboration with Guyana by strengthening bilateral relations through the signing of a series of memoranda of understanding (MoU) on Friday.
The MOUs were signed at State House in the Guyanese capital of Georgetown, setting the stage for expanded collaboration in agriculture, security, finance, housing, technology and climate resilience. The agreements were signed by Guyana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd and Jamaica’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, during an official visit by a Jamaican delegation led by Prime Minister, Dr. Andrew Holness.
The signing marked a key diplomatic milestone with both sides describing the talks as part of a broader effort to translate regional cooperation into practical outcomes. Guyana’s President, Irfaan Ali said the engagement went beyond ceremonial diplomacy and focused on deliverable results.
Details of the MOUs signed
The first agreement relates to the amending of the 1995 agreement on economic, technical and cultural cooperation. The protocol widens areas for collaboration between the two sides in energy, defence and security, development of financial services and capital markets, disaster response and recovery, climate resilient housing and infrastructure and science, technology and innovation.
The three MoUs relate to agriculture, defence and security and financial services. In agriculture, the agreement paves the way for strengthened cooperation in food security through the development of a strategic partnership for the mutual benefit of the two states and the wider Caribbean.
It will focus on institutional and human resource development; resource innovation, education and extension, trade facilitation and advancing the implementation of CARICOM’s 25 by 2025 plus initiative. The Defence and Security Cooperation MoU provides the framework for developing bilateral cooperation between the two countries, building capacity on existing partnerships and identifying new areas for mutual benefit.
It aims to explore participation in multinational operations in support of international stability, peace and security; develop and enhance a mechanism for the exchange of information between the two sides; establish standing arrangements for bilateral discussions between officials and pursue consultations on defence and security policy and coordinate representation.
The financial services MoU promotes cooperation in the enhancement of financial infrastructure and systems in both countries, agreeing to collaborate in the development and modernisation of financial services, institutional strengthening and capacity building in the financial services sector. Among the agreements is a framework on agricultural cooperation aimed at strengthening food and nutrition security while supporting CARICOM’s “25 by 2025 plus five” initiative to reduce the region’s food import bill.
The pact outlines collaboration in institutional development, training, innovation, education, trade facilitation and agricultural research. A separate agreement on defence and security cooperation is intended to deepen coordination in areas such as information sharing, policy consultations and joint engagement on regional and international security matters.
More MoUs to be signed in the future
Both countries also signed an accord focused on financial services, committing to modernising systems, strengthening institutions and building capacity across the sector. President Ali said the visit had already generated momentum for further cooperation, noting that additional agreements are expected in the near future as discussions continue to expand into energy, housing and governance reform.
He highlighted plans to establish a working group on energy cooperation and pointed to opportunities for collaboration in housing development, including potential partnerships between financial institutions and developers in both countries. Technology and security also featured prominently, with discussions covering cybersecurity, data sovereignty and training, including through Guyana’s National Defence Institute.
For his part, Prime Minister Holness said the signed MOUs represent only a portion of the wider cooperation under discussion, adding that both countries share aligned views on governance, economic development and regional competitiveness.
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