President David Granger met with Queen Elizabeth yesterday as he continued his visit to the United Kingdom.

He became the first sitting Guyanese President to meet with the Queen in the United Kingdom.

The President said his discussions with the Queen centered around forest conservation initiatives and relations between Guyana and the United Kingdom.

He added that he believes that relations between the two countries are ‘becoming warmer’, noting that the relationship between the British Government and Guyana has benefitted immensely from the interactions, during his visit.

“The Queen is Head of the Commonwealth. When she adopts a programme, which is a ‘green’ programme, which is entirely consistent with Guyana’s ‘green’ agenda, it is very significant for Guyana and Guyanese and of course she is a very influential person from a moral point of view; intellectual, philosophical point of view around the world… I can say that it was of the utmost significance for me and for Guyana that she, since 2015 at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Malta, laid out this policy of the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy… As Head of State, it was an honour for me to meet the Queen and to share the vision of, not only a Green State; a Green Guyana, but also a Green Commonwealth”, he said.

The President said that these meetings have augured well for Guyana’s relationship with the UK at both a governmental and private sector level. “The main takeaway is Guyana’s commitment to continuing as a member of the Commonwealth and as a State that is attractive to investment from British investors; a State that is organised and administered on the principles of accountability and transparency and a State that is friendly to investors. And in meeting with Foreign Secretary Johnson, he is quite aware of the issues affecting Guyana and we saw eye to eye on those issues,” the President said.

The President described his meeting with the queen as significant. President Granger also met and held discussions with British members of parliament and investors in London.

He invited the investors to come to Guyana and do business, saying that Guyana is ripe and ready for investment.

Meanwhile, the British Minister of State is expected to visit Guyana next week for further discussions on several initiatives, as the two countries continue to forge closer ties and build their relations.

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