PM Gonsalves gets Guyana’s second highest national award

GEORGETOWN, Guyana – President Irfaan Ali has bestowed his country’s second highest award, the Order of Roraima, to Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves.

At a special dinner Monday night at State House, the Guyanese head of state said he was honoured to present the prestigious award to the long-standing regional politician.

“The conferral of Guyana’s Order of Roraima is in deserved recognition of the tireless commitment and unflinching contributions which Dr Gonsalves has made to the cause of regionalism and regional integration,” Ali said.

The president also praised Gonsalves’s solidarity with Guyana in protecting the country’s democracy and territorial integrity.

He called Gonsalves a Caribbean man who has been committed to “democracy, peace, security and development of the Caribbean,” Guyana’s Office of the President said.

Ali also lauded the other regional and national individuals who stood up for “democracy, the rule of law, and freedom” in Guyana. He said they would be recognised for their contributions later in the year.

Vice President, Bharrat Jahdeo, ministers of the government, former President Donald Ramotar, Secretary-General of CARICOM, Carla Barnett, Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force, Brigadier Godfrey Bess, Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken and other Government Officials were also at the event.

Gonsalves is on a four-day official visit to Guyana.                                                                                                

Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Amor Mottley, is also a recipient of the Order of Roraima.