EU Chamber of Commerce ‘top priority’ for new Ambassador

An effectively functioning Guyana/European Union Chamber of Commerce, to bring together European and local businesses, is of top priority for the new European Union (EU) Ambassador to Guyana René Van Nes.

During an interview on Thursday, Van Nes, who presented his credentials to President Dr. Irfaan Ali on September 7 said that the chamber is something he immediately began working on.

“The chamber of commerce is right on top of my priority list and indeed we are looking into how we are going to give that shape and form because we think that could be a very important addition,” Van Nes said.

The EU-Guyana Chamber of Commerce was launched by President Ali and former EU Ambassador Fernando Ponz Canto in August in an effort to promote greater partnership and trade between Guyana and the bloc.

It is also envisaged that numerous local and European companies will join the body, deepening private sector partnerships between Guyana and Europe.

“We hope that it will be beneficial for European companies, that it will be beneficial for Guyana so that is why I am so keen to have that chamber in place,” Van Nes said.

The EU ambassador said the Chamber is something he immediately began working on and is calling on European companies to make themselves known to the EU Delegation to commence the process of forming the organization.

“First thing for me is to understand who are the parties that we are talking about, who is the European Private Sector, how many companies are there. So we’re in that process to identify European companies,” he said.