The European Union’s (EU) Ambassador to Guyana, Rene Van Nes, says safety concerns were a top priority for European investors considering investment opportunities in Guyana during a trade mission last year.
In his address at a high level security meeting on Friday, the diplomat said he convinced EU investors that Guyana is a safe place for their business.
“We organized last year the very first trade mission of the EU to Guyana and do you know what the key questions of the European investors coming here – is this a safe country?”, the Ambassador revealed as he highlighted the crucial link between economic and social development and security.
“Safety and security are obviously key considerations in making investment decisions and thanks to your dedication and professionalism we can answer that questions positively,” Van Nes stated.
He further underscored the global challenges posed by transnational organized crime, terrorism, and environmental disasters and underscored the need for collaborative efforts to combat these threats.
“We all face similar challenges and what is happening here in the Caribbean region has an impact on the region at large and that has an impact on Europe,” he said.
The EU has been actively supporting the Caribbean region, including Guyana, through various security initiatives and programmes aimed at boosting law enforcement capabilities.
Ambassador Van Nes highlighted programmes like the Latin America Caribbean Cyber Competency Center, that funds security and safety against transnational organized crime.
“It was a programme that was implemented over the last five years in Latin America and is now being rolled out to the Caribbean Region,” Van Nes stated.
He said the programme is highly successful in Latin American and has no doubt it will be just as successful in the Caribbean. Other programmes include the Global Illicit Flows Programme and Cooperation Programme between Latin America and the European Union concerning Drug Policies (COPOLAD).
“Many have talked about the world becoming a more complex place with threats such as transnational organized crime, terrorism, piracy and lately of course we see a huge increase of environmental disasters and pandemic diseases,” the Ambassador said as he noted the ongoing battle between organized crime acquiring new technologies and law enforcement’s efforts to keep up with them.
Further, the Ambassador said that organized crime threatens the very foundation of societies and stated the EU’s continued support in combating crime.
