France has reached an agreement with Guyana to open an embassy in the Caribbean country next year, becoming the first member state of the European Union (EU) to do so.
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| Guyana President Irfaan Ali (right) shakes hands with French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné at a meeting in the capital Georgetown on March 25. (Source: Demerara waves) |
According to the news site Demerara Waves of Guyana on March 26, the above decision was made during a meeting between this country's President Irfaan Ali and French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné in the Caribbean country's capital Georgetown a day earlier.
In the joint statement after the meeting, the two sides emphasized that the French Embassy "will promote cooperation in various fields, especially economics, priority sectors of Guyana that the nation's businesses Europe has experience".
In line with the stated general objective, the new French embassy will contribute to strengthening relations between Guyana and the French overseas territory of Guyana, as well as Paris's relations with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), headquartered in based in Georgetown.
France is interested in promoting its overseas territories to further integrate into CARICOM.
The two sides also signed a commitment to strengthen relations "as neighboring and friendly countries", in which, Paris agreed to provide ships to enhance its maritime patrol capabilities Georgetown.
The two countries said they share a commitment to democratic values and respect for international law as well as the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations.
France and Guyana also wish to strengthen cooperation to ensure the security and stability of the Guyana Shield and combat organized crime in the region, and at the same time agreed to establish a Joint Working Group to identify priorities to strengthen cooperation in the fields of defense, climate change, food security, infrastructure, technology and tourism.
