But sustainable development is not just about wise resource utilization. It is also "a continuous process of change in which the exploitation of resources, the direction of investments, the orientation of technological development, and institutional modifications are made consistent with present and future needs."

This truism, amplified in the National Development Strategy, is part of the reason President Bharrat Jagdeo is visiting neighboring Brazil.

In the steely world of globalization, Guyana and Brazil make a potent combination.

Brazil and Guyana are two very important countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.

For starters, Brazil, the world's fifth largest nation that occupies the eastern half of South America, sharing borders with all but two of the continent's 20-plus nations, is also one of the globe's industrial giants. It has the ninth largest economy in the world and accounts for some 500 products on the competitive international market.

By contrast, Guyana is one of the world's smallest nations - larger only than Suriname and French Guiana or Cayenne in all of South America. But apart from being the continent's only English-speaking nation, Guyana is the gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean.

Brazil has the potential to provide Guyana with significant inflows of investments, technical assistance, managerial expertise and human resource skills training. That's more than Brazil is dependent upon its ties with Guyana to serve its national interests.

The two countries have a long history of friendly neighbor relations. But ties took a decidedly significant turn for the better after President Cheddi Jagan's visit to Brasilia in November of 1993 led to the resuscitation of the Guyana/Brazil Joint Commission.

That historic visit also resulted in the formal establishment of the Guyana/Brazil Group on Consular Cooperation. Today this group serves as the permanent mechanism for the evaluation and resolution of consular matters.

More than that, however, the Jagan administration concretized relations with the Brazilian state of Romaima, also in November of 1993, permitting legal cross-border trade.

The Guyana/Brazil Trade Agreement allows for a wide range of benefits for the two countries. The Guyana/Brazil road link, which includes the bridging of the Takatu River, will trigger a gamut of activities. Already, Guyana's mining industry is evolving with the presence of miners from Brazil.

President Jagdeo's official visit to Brazil comes at a time when Government is seeking to reshape the destiny of the Guyanese people and place an emerging Guyana onto the international stage.

As Guyana moves into an uncharted but envisioned future, improving relations and tapping into Brazil's potential for assistance is a requisite in policy formulation.