2012 is a GREAT year for the UK and Guatemala

“Guatemala is important to the UK”. Not my words but those of Jeremy Browne, the UK’s Minister for Latin America, after he met his Guatemalan counterpart, Carlos Raúl Morales, in London on 7 June. I of course wholeheartedly agree, and Jeremy Browne’s statement goes on to describe how the UK’s relations with Guatemala have gone from strength to strength, including progress on issues important to both countries, making real the UK’s commitment to Latin America.

2012 is an important year for both the UK and Guatemala and offers GREAT opportunities for strengthening still further our political, commercial, cultural  and sporting relationships. We have already witnessed the spectacular celebrations in London and across the UK of Her Majesty The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, and now we are getting excited about the upcoming 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games that London will host from 27 July. With under 50 days to go until the start of the Olympics, 17 Guatemalans have already qualified and we’ll be wishing them on their way with a farewell reception in Guatemala City on 29 June. This will also be the welcome reception for the new British Ambassador, Sarah Dickson, who arrives in Guatemala on 23 June. Later in the year, the eyes of the world will be on Guatemala for the end of the Mayan calendar. So there’s plenty to be excited about!

The GREAT campaign gives the UK the opportunity to celebrate these important events, and to show the world everything that’s GREAT about Great Britain. For the next few months, we will be highlighting a different GREAT theme each week. Some aspects of British life are well known in Guatemala, and Honduras (that we also cover from here), for example our music and sport, but perhaps less well known are our green credentials, and our passion for entrepreneurship and creativity. Our aim is to put this right.

We’ll kick off next week with a focus on “Innovation is GREAT”, and you can follow our progress on this website, plus on Twitter (@UKinGuatemala) and on Facebook (British Embassy Guatemala City).