Barbados–Guyana relations

Barbados–Guyana relations refers to the current and historical relationship between Barbados and the Co-Operative Republic of Guyana. The former maintains non-resident diplomatic representation from Bridgetown,[1] while Guyana which prior had a High Commissioner to Barbados[2] appointed its first resident Consul-General, Michael Brotherson to Bridgetown in January 2012.[3][4]

Barbados-Guyana relations

Barbados
Guyana

General aspects

The relations between Guyana and Barbados began while both were part of the British Empire. Shorty after Great Britain secured (then British Guiana) from the Dutch, waves of migrants were encouraged to move and settle the new expansive area. Barbados was one such location where large numbers of migrants came from. Through time Barbados and Guyana have both supported each other. With the move towards independence in the region, Guyana was seen as the breadbasket of the wider-Caribbean which led to yet more waves of Barbadians seeking to move to Guyana for better opportunities.

In 1991 Barbados and the Co-Operative Republic of Guyana attempted moves towards forming a tri-state confederation[5] consisting of Barbados, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago.[6][7][8] The now late former Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Patrick Manning pitched the initiative for the tri-state area to enter into some form of political union or political association. This initiative was short lived and did not proceed following the Democratic Labour Party's defeat during the 1994 elections.[9]

Relations became rocky due to immigration.[10] Things became contentious for Guyanese persons to Barbados.[11][12][13][14] The two nations continue their cooperation through the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and work towards building and maintaining good relations between their nationals.[15][16][17] In 2012 the Consul-General of Guyana to Bridgetown remarked that immigration matters between Guyana and Barbados had substantially improved with no complaints since being attributed to Bridgetown.[18]

More recently the Guyanese Government has extended an offer to Barbadians.[19][20] The Guyanese government has offered to put in place an economically favourable regime towards any Barbadians that wish to relocate to Guyana and contribute towards that nation's goals in agricultural investment.[21] The announcement was made in the final days of the Owen Arthur administration by MP member Mia Motley.

In 2004 both nations signed treaties to cooperate in the portion of overlapping international maritime boundary.[22]

In 2007 both nations formed the Barbados-Guyana Joint Commission, which was held in Guyana for its inaugural meeting.[23] The third meeting of the Joint Commission met in Georgetown in May 2015.[24][25]

In 2013, trade between both nations was placed at US$25 million by the Consul-General of Guyana.[26] both nations also explored an initiative of twinning in the hospitality and tourism sector as well as an arrangement for joint collaboration in the overlapping maritime EEZ between both nations.[27]

In 2016 Guyanese President, Granger presented Barbadian Prime Minister, Freundel Stuart with the second highest award of Guyana, the Order of Roraima.

People
  • Eddy Grant, a musician charged with creating the genre of Ringbang in Barbados.
  • Lionel Luckhoo, served concurrently as a joint High Commissioner of both Guyana and Barbados to the United Kingdom (1967 to 1970)
  • Dr. Samuel Rudolph Insanally, CCH Guyana's High Commissioner to Barbados (1982 to 1986)[2]
  • Rihanna, international pop star born in Barbados of partial Guyanese parentage.

Notes
  1. High Commissioner for Barbados to Guyana, Website Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Guyana)
  2. Permanent Representatives of the Republic of Guyana to the United Nations, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Guyana to the United Nations.
  3. Campbell, Danielle (6 January 2012). "Guyana names new envoy to Suriname, honorary consul to Barbados". Guyana Times. Archived from the original on 20 January 2012. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
  4. Denis Scott Chabrol (5 January 2012). "Consul General for Barbados; new Ambassador to Suriname". Demerara Waves Media Inc. Archived from the original on 11 January 2012. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
  5. Manning, Patrick (26 January 1996). "9th Sitting – 1st Session – 5th Parliament" (PDF). Hansard. Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago: 15. Retrieved 20 December 2010. In 1991, an initiative was announced by us (Trinidad and Tobago) which involved economic and eventually political association—and in this instance it was expressly stated, political association—between Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and Guyana. That approach came about because of a recognition of the advantages to be gained by the respective populations involved.
  6. Staff writer (20 July 2003). "Chasing after an elusive union". Jamaica Observer. Archived from the original on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 14 December 2010. Nationals of those three countries enthusiastically hailed what came to be known as "The Manning Initiative". It was to remain an initiative without form or substance for more than a year until late 1993 when the then prime minister of Barbados, Erskine Sandiford, produced, with the assistance of his Attorney-General Maurice King, a working document that had at its core, a tri-state confederation of Barbados, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago.
  7. "The Manning strategic initiative". Guyana Stabroek newspaper. 25 April 2007. Archived from the original on 25 April 2007. Retrieved 14 December 2010. When he first became prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago in 1991–95, Mr Patrick Manning tried to float a political and economic union among Barbados, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago. Dubbed the 'Manning Initiative,' the effort sank into oblivion, the victim of benign but unenthusiastic interest.
  8. Staff writer (22 August 2008). "Another Manning Initiative". Stabroek newspaper. Retrieved 14 December 2010. Some will also recall the 1992 “Manning Initiative,” which proposed a federation of Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and Guyana. This did not go anywhere as the concept was never satisfactorily fleshed out nor explained, at least not in public.
  9. Staff writer (14 July 2003). "'Done That'". Nation Newspaper. Archived from the original on 14 July 2003. Retrieved 20 December 2010. "I (Sir Lloyd Sandiford) sat and worked with the then Attorney-General of Barbados, Maurice King QC, to put together a confederal framework. We drew up the framework, but certain developments arose. I became ill and there was a delay caused by my illness. "After that, Barbados ran headlong into a political crisis. Then there was a change in the Trinidad government and all of these developments prevented us from discussing the framework and taking steps to push it forward," Sir Lloyd added.
  10. Jagdeo rails against second-class treatment of Guyanese at airports (12 November 2002), Stabroek News
  11. Barbados is using Guyanese as scapegoats for economic problems- Ramotar (22 May 2009), Kaieteur News
  12. Undocumented Guyanese were being exploited in Barbados – Senator McClean, (22 January 2011) Stabroek News
  13. Deportee from Barbados has lost hope in her homeland - Says 26 Guyanese were rounded up in one raid (20 June 2009), Stabroek News
  14. Consulate instructed to follow up reports of Barbados raids (25 June 2009), Stabroek News
  15. Guyana, Barbados working to remove immigration problems (18 July 2002), Guyana Chronicle Newspaper
  16. Figures show fall in Guyanese refused entry to Barbados, (7 October 2013) Kaieteur News
  17. Barbados and Guyana will continue to deepen ties Archived 19 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine (5 November 2015), Loop Barbados News
  18. Entry ease, says Guyana consul Marcia Dottin, (20 December 2012), Nation News
  19. Staff writer (16 October 2007). "The Guyana land offer to Barbados". Nation Newspaper. Archived from the original on 13 June 2008. Retrieved 14 December 2010.
  20. Atwell, Carlos (9 October 2007). "Guyana land lease offer 'ridiculous'". Nation Newspaper. Archived from the original on 11 December 2007. Retrieved 14 December 2010.
  21. Yearwood, Trevor (17 June 2007). "Guyana low cost land". Nation Newspaper. Archived from the original on 4 November 2007. Retrieved 14 December 2010.
  22. staff writer (9 March 2004). "BOUNDARY BITS – Barbados and Guyana Agree on Joint Zone". International Boundary Consultants. Archived from the original on 17 February 2009. Retrieved 26 January 2011.
  23. Greenidge to sign key cooperation agreement with Barbados (28 October 2015)
  24. BARBADOS AND GUYANA SIGN THIRD JOINT COMMISSION (3 November 2015), Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA)
  25. Barbados And Guyana Hold Talks, (9 May 2016), Caribbean Press Release
  26. Guyana-Barbados trade worth US$25 million (10 December 2013), Kaieteur News
  27. VIDEO: Guyana and Barbados continue to work together on several areas of interest to both Countries, 10 Oct 2013, Capitol News Guyana

References

See also
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