In a major boost for Guyana’s diplomatic profile, France is to set up an embassy here next year and Paris has also sealed a deal for the supply of patrol boats.
A Joint communiqué yesterday said that President Irfaan Ali and Stéphane Séjourné, Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs of France met at State House on Monday, March 25, 2024.
“Given the desire to forge closer links as neighbouring countries and friends, Guyana and France have decided to write a new chapter in their history by opening a French Embassy in Georgetown in 2025. France will be the first EU (European Union) country with this level of diplomatic representation in Guyana”, the Joint communiqué added .
This is since Britain’s exit from the EU in 2020.
With Georgetown combating aggression from Caracas over the border controversy between the two countries, the deepening of ties with France is seen as important given Paris’s concerns about stability in the Guianas where it has an overseas department in Cayenne.
The Joint communiqué said that opening a French Embassy will boost the development of cooperation in various sectors, including the economy, in priority areas for Guyana where French companies hold renowned expertise.
This Embassy will also aid strengthening ties between Guyana and French Guiana, as well as French relations with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), which is headquartered in George-town.
“The Government of Guyana looks forward to the establishment of the Embassy which signals the benefits of the economic transformation being experienced by the nation and the interest of France in developing its relations with the Caribbean region.
“The Government of the French Republic welcomes the opening of this Em-bassy, which will help strengthen the integration of our overseas territories in the region and illustrates its ambition to consolidate the universal character of its diplomatic network”, the Joint communiqué said.
Establishment of the embassy here next year could enable the collection of applications for Schen-gen visas to Europe. At the moment, Guyanese have to travel to Suriname and lodge the applications at the Dutch Embassy in Paramaribo.
As part of the ongoing security cooperation, Guy-ana also yesterday announced the acquisition of maritime patrol assets from France. No further information was provided on what is to be acquired and the terms of the deal. Defence sales and opening up business opportunities for French oil and gas companies here had been seen as key drivers in the move towards the establishment of an embassy here.
The Joint communi-qué said that the two sides also took the opportunity to exchange views on priority issues facing the international community.
“France and Guyana share the same commitment to democratic values and respect for international law and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States. Both of our countries are fully engaged in peacekeeping initiatives.
“The two countries are keen to strengthen cooperation to ensure the security and stability of the Guiana Shield and combat organized crime in the region. They are also engaged in efforts to tackle climate-related issues and protect Amazonia, which is a priority for both countries, given their connection to the Amazon region”, the Joint communiqué added.
The two countries agreed to establish a Joint Working Group to identify priorities to deepen cooperation in defence, climate change, food security, infrastructure, technology and tourism.
On X (formerly Twitter) Séjourné said: ❝Thank you @presidentaligy & @HughToddgt for your warm welcome & discussions. We are opening a new page in our diplomatic & economic relations. This is an opportunity to reaffirm with an elected member of the Security Council, our commitment to the international order.❞
In recent months there had been increasing signs that Paris was considering a full-fledged embassy here.
Two French senators who visited in January this year called on Paris to establish an embassy here on account of Guyana’s growing economic importance and common security interests in the face of threats from Venezuela.
Writing in the February 17th edition of French weekly newspaper, Le Journal du Dimanche, François Bonneau, senator from Charente, and Philippe Folliot, senator from Tarn also argued for an embassy on the grounds that Guyanese have to travel to the Dutch embassy in Suriname for a Schengen visa and this limits opportunities for the growth in business ties.
In their capacity as parliamentarians on the Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee, they travelled to Mabaruma, the capital of Region One then journeyed three kilometres from the border with Venezuela to the villages of Yaraquita and White Water. They noted that they were the first foreign MPs to have visited the area following Venezuela’s December 3rd 2023 referendum seeking to annexe Guyana’s county of Essequibo.
Noting Guyana’s significant oil deposits which should this year place it 6th among the richest countries in the world, the senators said this makes it a “prey” for Venezuela under Nicolas Maduro through its claim to Essequibo despite the 1899 arbitral award. France, they said, cannot remain indifferent to the Venezuelan threat.
The senators wrote that Guyana, through the Essequibo region, will in the coming years be at the centre of major economic, geostrategic, social and environmental issues. They noted that a large part of Guyana’s territory is carpeted by the Amazonian forest and due to its proximity to French Guiana, France must strengthen its presence in this country and make it a major partner on all these levels.
During a first trip to Guyana last April and during their trip at the beginning of the year, they said that Guyanese authorities told them of their expectations of support, as well as of their desire to see French investments develop in their territory. The senators pointed out that a few French companies are already present, like the Amcar company in the north west, specializing in heart of palm, a major employer in the region and which
French Ambassador to Suriname and Guyana, Nicholas de Lacoste on July 13th, 2023 announced that France was upping its presence here with the establishment of a bureau which became functional from September last year.
de Lacoste made the announcement during the Bastille Day celebrations at the Georgetown Club. “It is not an embassy but we will have a permanent diplomatic presence here in Georgetown”, he said.
Asked about the possibility of the establishment of a French embassy here, de Lacoste responded that it was not impossible but was dependent on the number of French nationals and French enterprises here, and the development of French culture.
“We take into consideration all these parameters and if we see that the time is right for a full-fledged embassy we will do so. For now, this diplomatic bureau will be linked with the French Embassy in Paramaribo,” he explained.
