On September 14, 2026, Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne hosted a key diplomatic courtesy call with Marie-Noëlle Duris, France’s newly appointed ambassador to Antigua and Barbuda and the broader Caribbean region. The high-level meeting centered on expanding collaborative frameworks across a wide range of priority sectors and reinforcing the longstanding bilateral ties between the two nations.
Opening the discussion, Prime Minister Browne extended a warm welcome to Ambassador Duris as she begins her regional posting, wishing her a successful and impactful tenure. He reaffirmed Antigua and Barbuda’s steadfast commitment to nurturing a robust, mutually beneficial partnership with France.
A core topic of the talks was the unique set of challenges facing Small Island Developing States (SIDS), a cause Antigua and Barbuda has championed globally for decades. Prime Minister Browne emphasized that traditional economic metrics, most notably Gross National Income, fail to capture the profound structural economic and environmental vulnerabilities that define small island nations. He reiterated the critical value of the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index as a more accurate measurement tool, and expressed public gratitude for France’s longstanding recognition of the extraordinary circumstances SIDS navigate.
Climate action emerged as another central alignment point between the two governments. Browne framed climate change as an existential threat to low-lying island nations that demands urgent, coordinated international action. He noted that Antigua and Barbuda and France share overlapping priorities on climate action, global social justice, and the urgent need for reform to build a more equitable international financial system. In response, Ambassador Duris reaffirmed France’s unwavering solidarity with SIDS, noting that Paris remains committed to collaborating with Caribbean nations like Antigua and Barbuda to develop targeted solutions that advance inclusive, sustainable economic development.
During the meeting, Ambassador Duris also introduced a joint French-Mexican diplomatic initiative aimed at reforming United Nations Security Council practice. The proposal calls on Security Council member states to voluntarily refrain from using veto power in cases where mass atrocities are ongoing, and she extended an invitation for Antigua and Barbuda to consider backing the initiative.
In a push to expand people-to-people ties through education, Prime Minister Browne proposed strengthening academic partnerships between French higher education institutions and the University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus. Key areas of potential collaboration outlined include reciprocal student exchange programs and joint academic curricula that would allow students to complete segments of their degree programs in both Antigua and Barbuda and France.
The talks also prioritized deepening connections between Antigua and Barbuda and France’s Caribbean overseas territories, particularly the neighboring islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique. Prime Minister Browne highlighted the deep geographic, historical, and cultural links that already bind the regions, pointing to longstanding cross-border population movement and cultural exchange, including the regular participation of Guadeloupean residents in Antigua and Barbuda’s annual Carnival celebrations. He outlined a vision for expanded transportation connectivity, increased bilateral trade, and greater cross-community exchange between the territories. Ambassador Duris echoed this enthusiasm, noting France’s ongoing efforts to advance regional integration for its Caribbean territories and expressing interest in expanding collaboration across climate action, public security, public health, vocational training, academic research, and cross-border patient care.
Diplomatic relations between Antigua and Barbuda and the European Union also featured on the meeting agenda, with discussions focused on two ongoing policy talks: visa-free travel arrangements and the regulation of Citizenship by Investment Programmes. Prime Minister Browne emphasized his hope that continued dialogue would lead to a balanced outcome that addresses EU policy concerns while honoring the unique economic interests and circumstances of Caribbean small island states. He proposed an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system as a practical alternative that could meet security concerns without eliminating visa-free access, and stressed that maintaining free movement between Antigua and Barbuda and neighboring French Caribbean territories is essential given their close geographic, cultural, and economic integration.
The two sides also discussed coordination within multilateral institutions, including mutual support for national candidatures for leadership positions in global bodies. Ambassador Duris thanked Antigua and Barbuda for its past support of French candidatures, while Browne noted that Antigua and Barbuda looks forward to reciprocal consideration from Paris for its future nominations.
In a final update on ongoing security cooperation, Ambassador Duris confirmed that the French government is currently working with Antigua and Barbuda to support a request for security preparedness assistance, with coordination ongoing between relevant national authorities and regional partner bodies.
Closing the meeting, Prime Minister Browne extended his thanks to the President, government, and people of France for their consistent engagement with Antigua and Barbuda. He expressed confidence that Ambassador Duris’ tenure will deliver measurable progress in strengthening the bilateral relationship, and reaffirmed his government’s commitment to sustained dialogue and cooperative action. Browne noted that Antigua and Barbuda is eager to build on its decades-long friendship with France to advance shared priorities that deliver tangible, lasting benefits to the people of both nations, and wished Ambassador Duris a productive, successful term in her new post, calling for continued high-level engagement to deepen the bilateral and regional partnership between the two sides.