ST.GEORGE’S, GRENADA, SEPTEMBER 7th 2012_Grenada and Venezuela have always had excellent relations,” Prime Minister Hon. Tillman Thomas declared Friday, as he addressed a ceremony marking the official opening of a bridge at Ford in St. Andrew. The Prime Minister expressed of his government’s appreciation to President Hugo Chavez and the government and people of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela for their assistance in constructing the bridge and other infrastructural projects. “We are very thankful to the Government of Venezuela for their continued support. We also remain committed to deepening and strengthening our bilateral relations,” the Prime Minister said to the country’s ambassador to Grenada, H.E. Carlos Perez Silva. The Prime Minister recalled the difficulties faced by the Ford community in accessing transport and other services, due the broken bridge, which remained in disrepair for more than 10 years. “In our campaign we promised to do everything we could to ensure we provide a level of comfort to our people and I am pleased that we have been able to deliver on this promise to the people of Ford,” he told residents, who turned out to participate in the opening ceremony. The bridge is the third of three projects handed over to the Government of Grenada over the past two days. On Thursday, the Prime Minister and a team of ministers accepted the reconstructed historic St. George’s Market and a Pavilion on the grounds of the Roy St. John Playing field in St. George’s, all done with funding from Venezuela. The market facility was closed and vendors relocated by the former administration, with a promise to reconstruct the facility. That promise was never kept. The pavilion was destroyed by Hurricane Ivan and was never reconstructed, until now. “This new facility therefore will improve the ability of our vendors to meet the needs of their customers, in an environment that is conducive to doing business, while maintaining the colour, mood and character of this cultural attraction,” the Prime Minister told vendors utilizing the market. Other projects funded by the Government of Venezuela are expected to be completed soon.