Guyana now full-fledged member of the Rio Group

Georgetown, GINA, March 10, 2008

The Twentieth (XX) Rio Group Summit which recently concluded in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic has seen the Group’s members approving the inclusion of Guyana and Haiti as members of the Group.
            Guyana, last year, chaired the Nineteenth Summit of the Rio Group and this year it was hosted by the Dominican Republic
          Heads of State at the Summit appointed Guyana and Haiti as individual members of the Group while Guyana will continue to represent the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) bloc until such time that another member is nominated by CARICOM Heads of Government to represent the CARICOM body.
            Since 1998, Guyana has been representing CARICOM in the Rio Group.
            Following its Chairmanship of the Rio Summit in 2007, Guyana handed over the mantle to the Dominican Republic (DR) but has remained on the TROIKA along with Mexico and the DR at the conclusion of the 20th Summit.
            Meanwhile, President of the Dominican Republic, Leonel Fernandez has handed over the mantle of the Chairmanship of the Rio Group to Mexico which will, following the next Summit, relinquish this to Chile.   

            President Bharrat Jagdeo on March 7 last addressed the XX Summit where he  underscored the need for peace in South America following a week of tension and conflict between some of the region’s countries, namely Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela. The countries have since concluded peace agreements.

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