Georgetown: The United States Government has confirmed the appointment of Perry L Holloway as its new Ambassador to Guyana.
Holloway was nominated by President Barrack Obama and was confirmed by the Senate on August 5, 2015.
Ambassador Holloway replaces D Brent Hardt as the US’s representative here following a period of icy relations between the former People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) and the US Government over its implementation of the USAID LEAD Project.
Holloway has pledged to work with Guyana in improving its border security, fighting crime and tackling the dreaded HIV/AIDS virus in remarks during his confirmation hearing before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee on July 15, 2015.
He said Guyana was a key partner in bolstering regional security, noting that through the President’s Caribbean Basin Security Initiative, Washington was cooperating to counter the threats of transnational crime and terrorism.
Halloway told the Committee that he has had the honour to serve the US as a Foreign Service Officer for the past 26 years in nine countries.
“I have served primarily in countries in the Western Hemisphere, so I am familiar with the types of challenges and opportunities that exist in Guyana. I have worked on programmes dealing with security, drug trafficking, democratic values and human rights, energy and the environment, Trafficking In Persons, corruption, and the exchange of people and ideas. I have extensive experience with interagency partners like USAID; [DoD] Department of Defence; Peace Corps; [DEA] Drug Enforcement Agency; and [DHS] Department of Homeland Security. If confirmed, I believe that my experience in the Region and my work with other agencies has prepared me well to lead the US mission in Guyana.”
He said Guyana was a country with tremendous potential with vast pristine rainforests, fertile agricultural lands, proven mineral resources, potentially large oil reserves, and a close affinity with the US. “It is also a country facing challenges from crime, poverty, corruption, HIV/AIDS, natural resource management, and drug trafficking,” Halloway said.
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