‘Guyana is not a crime exporter, it’s an exporter of opportunities’ – French Ambassador

French Ambassador to Guyana, Olivier Plançon, recently signalled a strong commitment to expanding trade and investment relations between the two countries.

He was an invited guest at the Private Sector Commission’s (PSC’s) 34th Annual General Meeting (AGM) held at the Guyana Marriott Hotel, when he revealed that French companies are exploring possible avenues of interest in Guyana.

“Strengthening our trade and investment relations and promoting economic and sustainable development is a priority for us,” Plançon said.

According to the Ambassador, a priority area for France is its Foreign Trade. He acknowledged frustrations with acquiring the Schengen visa, a gateway to 27 European countries, and assured that improvements will come.

“We are constantly striving to streamline the visa insurance process,” he said.

He explained that corruption and illicit trade within the region has plagued the issuance of these visas for many years but added that Guyana’s economic landscape has boosted confidence here.

“We also know that Guyana is growing fast and is not a crime exporter, it’s an exporter of opportunities,” he said.

He pointed to engagements with two missions by private sector stakeholders from Guyana in France. He said these engagements have pushed the relationship to develop beneficial opportunities for companies working in both countries. Importantly, during these missions, Medef International, France’s leading employers’ federation, and another with the French Foreign Trade Advisors network engaged the Guyanese visitors.

Currently, around 10 French companies operate in Guyana across aerospace, transportation, logistics, and engineering, with 20 more expressing strong investment interest. A business mission to Guyana is planned for 2026, he further said.

The ambassador also said that with the deep-water ports being developed, the trade between the two countries will no longer be limited due to connectivity issues.

“The absence of a deep-water port in Guyana is a barrier to exchanges between Guyana and Europe, as well as the weakness of air connectivity.

“I would like to commend the efforts of a local airline, which is working to establish a route between Georgetown, Paramaribo, and Cayenne,” he said.