-PM Phillips notes, highlights €8.9M investment as being part of efforts to strengthen healthcare system
PRIME Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips has hailed the expanding cooperation between Guyana and the European Union in the areas of pharmaceuticals, health, and digital innovation, noting that the partnership is helping to advance Guyana’s ambition of becoming a regional pharmaceutical hub.
The Prime Minister made the remarks while delivering an address at the Europe Day celebrations hosted by the European Union Delegation in Guyana, which was held at the Herdmanston Lodge.
The Prime Minister stated that Guyana’s relationship with the European Union continues to deepen across several sectors, with some collaborations already yielding tangible results.
“Our cooperation continues to expand across key sectors, including trade, health, governance, renewable energy, and digital infrastructure,” the Prime Minister said.
He pointed to Guyana’s hosting of an EU Pharmaceutical Mission over the past year as one of the major milestones in the growing partnership.
“Over the past year, our collaboration has delivered meaningful results, with Guyana hosting an EU Pharmaceutical Mission in support of our ambition to become a regional hub for pharmaceuticals,” Phillips stated.
Against this backdrop, he highlighted cooperation in the health sector through agreements signed with BioPark Charleroi and Expertise France under the PharmaNext programme, which represents an investment of €8.9 million in Guyana.
He went on to note that these partnerships are aligned with Guyana’s broader efforts to strengthen healthcare systems, expand local capacity while also creating new economic opportunities.
Along with this, PM Phillips said Guyana’s recent trade mission to four European countries aided in advancing discussions surrounding investment opportunities in port infrastructure, agro-processing, and logistics.
The engagements, he said, have already resulted in follow-up initiatives, including a visit by the Port of Antwerp-Bruges and partnerships in digital innovation with companies such as Zetes and EllaLink.
This growing cooperation, he said, reflects the importance of strategic international partnerships in an increasingly interconnected global environment.
“In today’s increasingly interconnected and multipolar world, cooperation is not optional, it is essential,” he said.
As such, he reaffirmed Guyana’s commitment to expanding market access, strengthening resilient supply chains, and deepening business-to-business linkages with Europe.
He noted that Guyana remains well-positioned for investment and stressed that stronger people-to-people connections, including through potential visa-waiver arrangements with EU and Schengen partners, could further strengthen economic and institutional ties.
