Guyana and Jamaica on Friday strengthened bilateral ties by signing several memoranda of understanding (MOUs) at State House in Georgetown, laying the foundation for expanded cooperation across 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, Kamina Elizabeth Johnson Smith.
The signing marked a key moment in the official visit by Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness.
Among the agreements signed was an MOU on bilateral Cooperation in agriculture that aimed to strengthen food and nutrition security while advancing regional agricultural goals.
The agreement seeks to establish a strategic partnership between the two countries through institutional development, human resource training, innovation, education, trade facilitation and support for CARICOM’s ‘25 by 2025 plus five’ initiative to reduce the region’s food import bill.
Guyana and Jamaica also signed an MOU on defence and security cooperation to deepen collaboration in building security capacity and enhancing regional stability.
Areas of cooperation include mechanisms for information sharing, regular bilateral consultations on defence and security policy, and greater coordination in international engagements.
Another major agreement focused on financial services, with both countries committing to modernising financial systems, strengthening institutions and building capacity across the sector.
President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali described the visit as more than a state engagement, characterising it as an intensive working visit focused on identifying practical outcomes for both countries.
“I think it would be improper for me not to recognise the enormous work done by both our sides—not only producing these MOUs but also understanding fully the nature of our commitment towards each other,” President Ali said.
The president revealed that additional agreements are expected in the near future as collaboration deepens.
He noted that over the past 48 hours, both countries found common ground on development priorities, governance reforms and economic transformation.
In the energy sector, President Ali announced that a working group will be established to examine opportunities for collaboration and identify recommendations that would benefit both countries and the wider region.
He also highlighted Jamaica’s globally recognised achievements in tourism and cultural industries, saying Guyana intends to learn from Jamaica’s experience as it develops its own tourism and orange economy sectors.
Meanwhile, on financial services, President Ali said Jamaica’s mature financial system offers important lessons for Guyana, particularly as Guyana advances plans for a junior stock exchange and greater financial integration.
The president mentioned opportunities in housing. He revealed that local banks have already expressed interest in forming partnerships with Guyanese and Jamaican developers to explore joint housing initiatives.
Security and technology also featured prominently in discussions, with President Ali highlighting opportunities for collaboration in cybersecurity, training, data sovereignty and defence education through Guyana’s National Defence Institute.
President Ali said the momentum generated by the visit demonstrates that implementation has already begun.
“We believe that we have found a common path in many areas and look forward to a stronger, relentless, resilient and sustainable partnership with the government and people of Jamaica.”
Speaking after the signing ceremony, Jamaican Prime Minister Holness said the agreements represent only a portion of the broader collaboration being pursued.
“These are just what we could formalise within the time. The breadth of our exchanges and the potential of our collaboration and cooperation is extensive,” he stated.
PM Holness noted that discussions between the two sides extended beyond the signed agreements to include energy, tourism, housing, regional diplomacy and public sector modernisation.
He said Guyana and Jamaica share similar views on global developments and maintain a strong focus on improving governance and economic competitiveness.