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Response by His Excellency Bharrat Jagdeo
President of the Republic of Guyana
to the Accreditation Speech by His Excellency Graham Kelly
High Commissioner of New Zealand to Guyana

President Bharrat Jagdeo (right) accredits Mr. Graham Kelly(left) as New Zealand Ambassador to Guyana. Partly hidden is Minister of Foreign Affairs Rudy Insanally. 13:25hrs. Monday, March 15, 2004. Office of the President Photo by Sandra Prince.

Excellency,

I am pleased to accept the Letters by which you are accredited as High Commissioner of New Zealand to Guyana. In doing so, I take the opportunity to welcome you to Guyana and to congratulate you on your appointment.

Without doubt, there exists between our two countries and peoples, a tradition of cordial relations, shared values and ideals and consequently ample possibility for greater friendship and cooperation.

A cursory review of the history of our relations at both the bilateral and multilateral levels reveals an appreciable coincidence of interest, and this, in spite of significant disparities in economic, political, geographic and cultural considerations. Our commonalities include a shared commitment to the promotion of democratic norms of governance, peace and security and sustainable development.

Excellency,

Guyana-New Zealand relations are in fact based on a sense of partnership for our common good. Increasingly nations are compelled to work together to confront and overcome the grave challenges presented by our contemporary situation. Only coordinated an cooperative action can successfully address problems such as poverty, increasing trade inequities, economic vulnerability, terrorism, HIV-AIDS, arms and narco-trafficking, which are not confined by borders and which cannot be solved by individual countries working alone.

It is therefore important and necessary that Guyana and New Zealand strengthen their cooperation in those international organisations such as the United Nations, the international financial institutions and the WTO. For small countries like ours the UN offers a protective umbrella under which we may pursue peace and development. Similarly, the Commonwealth, of which both our countries are members, is a most useful forum in which to forge our partnership.

Excellency,
I hope that during your assignment to Guyana we can work towards the further strengthening of the bilateral relations between Guyana and New Zealand.

Allow me therefore to offer you my best wishes for success and to assure you of my Government’s full support in the execution of your duties.

Thank you.

Office of the President
Georgetown
March 15, 2004