Guyana, EU to boost market access, strengthen value chains

Members of the Guyana delegation

Guyana and the European Union on Monday agreed to strengthen market access and deepen technical and institutional cooperation as the Guyanese delegation began day three of the inaugural Global Gateway EU–Guyana Mission in Belgium.

During a high-level meeting at the European Commission, co-chaired by the Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA) and the Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI), both sides discussed expanding collaboration in sustainable development, agriculture, trade facilitation and value-chain modernisation.

Guyana outlined national priorities, ongoing reforms and investment opportunities, and highlighted the need for greater private-sector involvement through investment, technology transfer, joint ventures and market-building partnerships. EU representatives presented existing cooperation frameworks and upcoming programmes aligned with Guyana’s development agenda.

Later at EU Headquarters in Brussels, the delegation met with European stakeholders in ports, logistics and agro-processing. A lunch hosted by the Embassy of Sweden showcased technology from Siemens Energy, Candela and Berg Propulsion.

The delegation also received briefings on the EU Caribbean Strategy for Ports with input from major industry actors, including dredging and cruise-line associations, Jan De Nul and Boskalis.

The final engagement was with the Belgian Chamber of Commerce, which facilitated connections between Guyanese and Belgian companies and highlighted new commercial opportunities.

The delegation will continue its study tour this week at the Ports of Antwerp in Belgium and Rotterdam in the Netherlands.