Ali, other Caribbean leaders set to meet Brazil’s President

Last Updated on Friday, 13 June 2025, 18:21 by Writer

President Irfaan Ali and several other Caribbean leaders are on Friday due to meet Brazil’s President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and sign a number of agreements.

“There’s a strong bilateral engagement at the technical level and between the two leaders,” the President said, referring to matters of defence and security, trade and infrastructure that had been previously agreed to with the Brazilian leader during his visit to Guyana. The two leaders are also due to discuss Guyana’s hosting of a Global Biodiversity Alliance Summit later this year.

The President left Guyana Thursday and is due to return late Friday.

Dr Ali declined to provide any details on defence and security engagements with Brazil which has always respected the inviolability of its border with Guyana and the implications of Venezuela’s claim to the Essequibo Region.

During the one-day meeting, they would also sign a declaration for the 30th Conference of the Parties also known as the 2025 UN Climate Change Conference scheduled for November in Belem, Brazil.

Dr Ali told Demerara Waves Online News that he would be holding bilateral meetings with the Brazilian President and the President of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Ilan Goldfajn.

Topping the Guyanese leader’s agenda are the construction of an all-weather road from Mabura to Lethem and the construction of a deep water port and container terminal in Berbice for the movement of goods to and from Brazil.

He said an assessment was currently underway that would help to lay the groundwork to seek financing for the construction of the port in a public-private partnership. The President noted that there was already significant interest from Cranes Guyana Inc – John Fernandes and Muneshwer’s Limited – in the construction of the deep water port. That company has already begun exploring financing opportunities. “They are also ready with their own financing to start a terminal in Berbice…They are looking at being part of the port development also,” he said.