GEORGETOWN, Guyana, February 4, 2020 – As a part of Guyana’s 50th Republic Anniversary celebrations, President David Granger on Monday conferred the country’s second highest national award, the Order of Roraima, on Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Amor Mottley, for her outstanding contribution to the Region.
In brief remarks at the start of the formalities, President Granger said that the conferral of the Order of Roraima on Ms. Mottley exemplifies the historical relations between Guyana and Barbados, two countries that have shared strong ties since gaining their independence in 1966. Speaking at the Ministry of the Presidency to Ministers of Government, heads of the CARICOM Secretariat and a delegation from Barbados, President Granger said that the investiture ceremony was not simply a formality, but was aimed at recognising the lead role Ms. Mottley plays not only in her own country, but in the Caribbean as well.
Noting some of the similarities between our two countries, the president pointed to their spearheading of the founding of the Caribbean Free Trade Area (CARIFTA) in 1965; their unique establishment of a joint High Commission in London following their independence; their being the only two Caribbean countries to erect monuments in memory of the victims of the 1976 Cubana Air Disaster; and the fact that the then Prime Ministers of the two states, Forbes Burnham and Errol Barrow, were among the four ‘Founding Fathers’, who, on July 4, 1973, signed the historic Treaty of Chaguaramas to formally establish the Caribbean Community and Common Market, which later became known as CARICOM.
President Granger noted that Prime Minister Mottley has distinguished herself as an ardent advocate of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), and led her country in the commendable perusal of Regional integration. “We applaud your leadership; we applaud your stewardship; we applaud your willingness to partner with Caribbean states,” he said, adding: “We commend you on your assumption of office as Chairman of Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community, and for your long-established commitments to Caribbean integration.” See complete story in the Guyana Chronicle at http://guyanachronicle.com/2020/02/04/order-of-roraima-for-barbados-pm
