US Ambassador to Guyana nominee seeks to help Guyana more in the area of security

Last Wednesday, Mr. Halloway appeared before the Foreign Relations Committee of the U.S Senate as his nomination started to move forward. He told members of the Committee that Guyana and the US have shared close relations over the years and he intends to build on that.

US Ambassador to Guyana nominee seeks to help Guyana more in the area of security

US Ambassador to Guyana nominee, Perry Halloway intends to work closer with the Government of Guyana in the area of security, once his nomination is confirmed and he takes up his post at the US Embassy in Georgetown.

Last Wednesday, Mr. Halloway appeared before the Foreign Relations Committee of the U.S Senate as his nomination started to move forward. He told members of the Committee that Guyana and the US have shared close relations over the years and he intends to build on that.

He said “I will work closely with the appropriate agencies of the U.S. Government to strengthen our security cooperation with Guyana.”

Halloway added that “Guyana is one of the poorest countries in the Hemisphere. That is why we
have historically worked with the government and private sector to support efforts to diversify the economy and create new opportunities in agribusiness, aquaculture, wood products, and ecotourism. If confirmed, I will continue to work with the government and private sector to strengthen Guyana’s market competitiveness, build its trade capacity, improve the investment climate, and promote greater two-way trade with the United States.”

The nominee also said he would develop a stronger relationship with Guyana in the area of tackling the drug fight and also in support of the fight against HIV/AIDS. He noted too that support in the area of climate change will also be part of his plan during his time in Guyana, once confirmed.

Mr. Halloway spoke about Guyana’s recent elections and told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that the coalition that is now in power in Guyana shares many of the same interests with the US government.

He said “the new president and his multi-ethnic coalition government have embarked on an ambitious transformative agenda for the county that centers on eliminating racial and ethnic exclusion, countering organized crime, combatting corruption, developing infrastructure, broadening economic growth, and establishing sustainable management of the country’s natural resources. The government’s agenda largely coincides with our own interests, providing us new opportunities to confront long-standing challenges. I look forward to working with all relevant actors to ensure that the bilateral relationship continues to be one based on shared interests and mutual respect.”

Halloway also said that with the large number of Guyanese living in the United States, he will also seek to forge better and closer relations with the Guyanese diaspora in the US.

According to a White House statement, when President Obama first made the nomination last year, Perry L. Holloway, a career member of the Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, served most recently as the Political-Military Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan from 2013 to 2014.

“From 2010 to 2013, Mr. Holloway was Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota, Colombia, and from 2009 to 2010 he served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Asuncion, Paraguay.  Previously, he served as the Director of the Narcotics Affairs Section at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota from 2007 to 2009, and as Deputy Director from 2005 to 2007.  From 2004 to 2005, Mr. Holloway was the Andean Counterdrug Initiative Coordinator at the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs at the Department of State”, the statement said.

The White House said that the nominee also served as the Director of the Narcotics Affairs Section at the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala City, Guatemala from 2000 to 2003, as a General Services Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Quito, Ecuador from 1997 to 2000, and as an Administrative Officer at the U.S. Consulate in Tijuana, Mexico from 1994 to 1997.

 

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