France to supply patrol vessels to Guyana

Last Updated on Tuesday, 26 March 2024, 10:30 by Denis Chabrol

France has agreed to supply vessels to boost Guyana’s maritime patrol capacity, the two countries said Tuesday.

“As part of the ongoing security cooperation, on March 25, 2024 Guyana announced the acquisition of maritime patrol assets from France.

This is a further illustration of the commitment of the two sides to strengthen the bilateral relationship,” France and Guyana said in their statement at the end of a visit by France’s Foreign Affairs Minister ,Stéphane Séjourné here.

While no specific reference was made to the Guyana-Venezuela border dispute that is before the International Court of Justice, France and Guyana said they share the same commitment to democratic values and respect for international law and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States.

The communique also states that 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.

Meanwhile, the two countries said they agreed to establish a Joint Working Group to identify priorities to deepen cooperation in the areas of defence, climate change, food security, infrastructure, technology and ttourism.

Concerning plans to open a French Embassy in Guyana next year, they said that diplomatic mission would 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 contribute to strengthening ties between Guyana and French Guiana, as well as French relations with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), which is headquartered in Georgetown,” they said.

The Government of Guyana says it 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 says it  welcomes the opening of this Embassy, 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.