More frequent contacts are necessary between the police forces of Guyana and France to combat crime more effectively, according to Chargé d’Affaires of the French Embassy to Guyana and Suriname, José Gomez.
Addressing the French National Day reception on Monday at the Georgetown Club, Gomez told the gathering that French and Guyanese police are working to develop cooperation in combating organised crime and in particular drug trafficking.
He added “More frequent contact and exchanges between the police of the two countries are necessary in order to combat crime more effectively”.
Cayenne in French Guiana has been a source of great interest to law enforcement here. A number of persons wanted for crimes here have ended up in Cayenne.
Broad hints were dropped at the reception by both Gomez and Prime Minister Mark Phillips when he spoke about the possibility of a French Embassy here. At the start of his presentation, Gomez noted that “France is not represented in Georgetown – or not yet – represented in Georgetown … but since December 2021 it has (had) a representative here…”
When he spoke, the PM said: I am pleased that France has taken the step to have a physical presence in Georgetown and hope that this can soon be translated into the establishment of a full-fledged diplomatic mission in the not too distant future”.
The event also saw a stinging attack by Gomez on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
Gomez said: “France and Guyana are two democracies our two countries love peace. France considers that disputes between nations must be settled by means of dialogue or international law… and this is, I believe, also the position of Guyana. France and Guyana strongly condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine …this war is an aggression that aims to (subjugate) a free and sovereign people… and to deny Ukrainians the democratic freedom…to choose the type of society they want to live in.
“This aggression was marked by numerous atrocities, massacres of civilians, torture, rape, towns completely destroyed, massive waves of refugees escaping the conflict zone and Russian rule”.
He also cited the blockage of Ukrainian ports and the triggering of a global food crisis, adding that “more than ever democracies must defend their values…”
Phillips did not mention the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Gomez said that interesting avenues are opening up for the ramping up of bilateral relations between the two countries.
“Environmental protection is a privileged arena of cooperation for our two countries …France is deeply committed to fight for biodiversity and against climate change”, he said.
He noted that Paris has set a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030 and 75% by 2050 compared to 1990 levels.
He said that the first French-Guyanese cooperation project launched in 2021 is intended to preserve the tropical forests and support the Amerindian populations who live there.
Other projects are in preparation and it is the expectation that the French Development Agency will soon be able to operate here.
Education and cultural ties are also set to develop. Gomez said that the President of the University of French Guiana recently travelled to Georgetown at the head of a large delegation to establish links with the University of Guyana.
Cooperation is also ongoing between the armed forces of the two countries in areas such as jungle combat.
He also said that French companies in different sectors produce high quality equipment that can contribute to the security of Guyana and in particular its offshore oil fields.
He added that French businesses are becoming aware of the opportunities offered by the economic development of Guyana and he was confident that their presence here will significantly improve.
Phillips said that France’s commitment to the enhancement of ties with Guyana as seen through the Guyana Shield initiative is much appreciated
On security cooperation, he said that Guyana looks forward to the implementation of initiatives or technical exchanges and the development of a common security strategy.
The PM said that the government here has embarked on creating an enabling environment for investment opportunities in key sectors and despite the country’s recent fortunes in the oil and gas sector it is the government’s policy to place emphasis on developing its traditional sectors particularly agriculture. “We encourage more French companies to take advantage of investing in Guyana”, he said.
He applauded Paris for its efforts to fight climate change and said that both Guyana and France “recognise the magnitude of flattening the curve of climate change”.
