Even as the local European Union (EU) office prepares for the visit of Executive Vice President of the Euro-pean Commission Frans Timmermans, teams of electoral experts from the EU are here to discuss reforms ahead of general elections in 2025.
Ambassador Rene van Nes, during the celebration of Europe Day last night, made the disclosure as he spoke of the Guyana- EU partnership.
“Over the years, the EU also supported Guyana in its efforts to strengthen its democratic institutions, promote good governance, and combat corruption. We played an important role during the elections of 2020 when the EU had fielded an election observation mission. Related to that mission there are electoral experts right now in Guyana to discuss electoral reforms ahead of general elections in 2025,” van Nes said.
Underscoring the importance of the Guyana- EU partnership, he spoke of the multiple fronts on which the EU has supported the country’s development.
To further illustrate the strength in the partnership, he said the Executive Vice President will be visiting next month to engage in bilateral discussions. Timmermans will be the highest-level officer from the EU to visit Guyana to date. It comes a mere two months after a visit from Deputy Secretary General Helena König, who had formally handed over €5 million to President Irfaan Ali to support a program-me underpinning a forest partnership between Guyana and the EU.
According to van Nes, the EU is committed to supporting countries like Guyana as the goals of the countries are aligned and they share common objectives.
He said Guyana plays a major role in protecting its tropical forests, which is crucial in mitigating climate change. “It is vital that people who live in and off the forest can create a sustainable livelihood, that they can use the forest in such a way that their children and grandchildren can do that as well,” he highlighted.
He noted that the EU had only signed forest partnerships with five countries in the world. Its pact with Guyana was in recognition of this country’s commitment to the highest standards of forest management, he explained before stating that the partnership will allow the EU to mobilise its full set of tools and instruments to ensure sustainability of the forest in a social, economic, financial and environmental way.
Additionally, he said that as the EU advances the partnership, businesses will soon be able to navigate the daunting EU market.
Through the launch of the EU Guyana Business Chamber, van Nes said, focus would be placed on strengthening the ties between the business communities and facilitating European companies to set-up business in Guyana. It will also support Guyanese companies navigating the European business landscape.
He stated further that through its support over the last 50 years, the “EU has spent a total amount of half a billion Euro. That is more than 100 billion Guyanese dollars!
“Guyana has many new friends now, but we are proud that the EU was also here when Guyana was less fortunate and needed all the support it could get.”
