PRESIDENT, Dr. Irfaan Ali, on Friday morning, met with Ambassador of the French Republic to Guyana, Antoine Joly, and a group of French army officials, at State House.
Among the persons from the French army are Senior Commander of the Armed Forces in French Guiana, Major General, Xavier Buisson, and Brigadier General, Thomas Lorne, of the French Defence Procurement Agency. Other members of the delegation were Lieutenant Colonel Philippe Lamouret, Defence Attaché; Captain Virginie Lestage, International Relations Division, Joint Armed Forces in French Guiana; and Valentin Aventino, Country Desk Officer for Suriname and Guyana with the Directorate-General for International Relations and Strategy.
Although the details of Friday’s meeting were private, it was reported that the contingent met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, Hugh Todd, on Thursday, to discuss the strengthening of military co-operation links between Guyana and France. According to available information, Guyana and France established diplomatic relations on June 22, 1967. France is represented in Guyana through its embassy in Paramaribo, Suriname, and has an honorary consulate in Guyana. Both countries have, over the years, passed a number of bilateral treaties.