“After 60 years of independence and 250 years for the United States of America, today, our partnership is at its strongest,” said Guyana’s President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali.
On Thursday evening, U.S. Ambassador Nicole Theriot hosted a reception at the Four Points by Sheraton, Georgetown, to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States’ Declaration of Independence. The event was attended by President Ali, Prime Minister Brig. (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, cabinet members, parliamentarians, and diplomats — with the exception of the Leader of the Opposition.
Both leaders used the occasion to underscore the strength of the bilateral relationship between the two nations.
“Our diplomacy is at its strongest. And make no mistake, our joint commitment to international peace, international order, democracy, and the rule of law is at its strongest,” President Ali added.
The Guyanese leader said the relationship with the U.S. is built on unseen work and mutual effort to build trust, laying the foundation for a strong future. He emphasized that the partnership is based on mutual respect rather than dependency, and that Guyana aims to be a reliable, respectful partner.
Ambassador Theriot echoed similar sentiments from the U.S. side, describing a relationship “built on mutual respect and a shared conviction that free nations working together accomplish much more than either could alone.”
She pointed to security cooperation as a cornerstone of Guyana’s partnership with Washington, noting its role “as a founding member of both the Shield of the Americas and the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition.” President Ali affirmed the same commitment, describing the security alliance in even stronger terms: “I refuse, Ambassador, to call it cooperation… our security alliance is not going alone. The task before us is to make it intertwined seamlessly.”
Theriot also highlighted recent joint humanitarian action, noting that Guyana and the United States “mobilized immediately following the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela last week to send aid, relief supplies, equipment and humanitarian aid workers.”
Beyond security, both leaders pointed to tangible investment as proof of the relationship’s substance. Theriot noted that ExxonMobil alone “has hired more than 5,000 Guyanese workers,” with investment “roughly five times the size of Guyana’s economy.” Ali, referencing the very venue hosting the celebration, told guests they were standing “in the halls of a strong U.S.-branded hotel and strong U.S. investment,” pointing also to a healthcare system he said “has been revolutionized in profound ways, not only in equipment and buildings, but in technology, in standard, in regulation and training.”
The U.S. Ambassador closed her remarks by tying the anniversary to the two countries’ shared trajectory, citing a message from President Trump to Guyana’s leadership marking the occasion: the two nations, she said, are “united by our shared interest in building a better future for our people… a future that makes both nations safer, stronger, and more prosperous.”