Georgetown: Though challenged by natural disasters and limited resources, the Government of Guyana is determined to ensure the safety of its people and to improve their lives. In this regard, it will continue to count on the support of its developmental partners, including the Government and people of France, says Prime Minister, First Vice President and (acting) President Moses Nagamootoo. He was at the time addressing the commemoration of the National Day of the Republic of France (Bastille Day) this evening at Cara Lodge, Quamina Street.
In his address, the Prime Minister expressed the country’s appreciation to the Government of France support over the years, especially in providing for debt-relief and for offering economic and technical cooperation in several areas. He noted that all of these meaningful efforts have contributed significant to national wellbeing.
“We hope that in the near future, we could secure opportunities for training in ‘weather forecasting’, as well as humanitarian assistance for flood victims,” he said. He also stated that Government is also looking forward to further enhancing cooperation with France, particularly in the areas of trade, foreign economic investment and crime fighting. He expressed the hope that the formalization of the Guyana’s Honorary Consulate in Cayenne, French Guiana, will help to boost these efforts.
The acting President also reiterated the APNU/AFC Government’s support in the fight against climate change, both domestic and internationally. He also acknowledged the crucial role that France has play to the process. “Our future depends on a comprehensive, holistic approach to global warming and climate change,” the Prime Minister said. “If we are to leave behind a world for the benefit of future generations, we must ensure its sustainable existence, and this should remain the primary goal of international community,” he further added.
To this end, he expressed the hope that the 21st Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (UNCCC,) scheduled for Paris, France in December, results in “a balanced outcome representing the concerns of both the developed and developing countries.”
The Prime Minister also stressed that this country will count on the friendship of France and the French people, “as we stand up resolutely against coercive attempts to frustrate or development and to threaten our territorial integrity.”
Meanwhile, France’s Ambassador to Guyana Michel Prom assured that Guyana contribution at the UNCCC summit will be “important to the success of the conference.”He also took the opportunity to thank the authorities and the people of Guyana for the solidarity shown earlier in the year with regards to the Paris bombing and to this end, reiterated cooperation in the field of security. Noting the attention that President Granger has been giving to the opening of the Guyana Consulate in Cayenne, he noted that this move will provide for greater regional integration.
Also present were Minister of Governance and Minister of Foreign Affairs (acting) Raphael Trotman, Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan and Minister of Business and Investment Dominic Gaskin.
Bastille Day, the annual celebration, known to the French as “La Fête Nationale” is a nationwide holiday that commemorates the anniversary of the liberation of France marked by the storming of Bastille. The medieval prison called Bastille, was where political prisoners were held for capricious reasons and had no chance of appeal at the hands of Louis XVI’s royal government.Bastille became a symbol of the oppressive monarchy and was targeted by the people of Paris, when they stormed the fortress on July 14, 1789.
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