Discours de S.E. de Matha 14 juillet 2012

Discours de S.E. Ginette de Matha pour la célébration du 14 Juillet 2012
Monsieur le Ministre des affaires étrangères et du commerce extérieur,
Monsieur le Ministre de l’industrie et du commerce,
Monsieur le Ministre de l’eau, de la terre, de l’environnement et du développement durable,
Monsieur le Ministre de l’Education,
Mesdames et Messieurs les parlementaires
Cher-e-s collègues du corps diplomatique,
Cher-e-s compatriotes
Cher-e-s ami-e-s
I am very happy, together with the team of the French Embassy and the team of the residency,
to welcome You for the celebration of the French national day. Thank You for being with us
on this special day.
The 14th of July 1789 is the cornerstone of a dramatic change of regime in France, marking
the aspiration of the French people to take charge of their own destiny. This fundamental
change is summed-up in the motto engraved on the front wall of every public building in
France : liberté, égalité, fraternité.
It took time. We experienced hard backlashes before reaching a hopefully long and peaceful
period, which doesn’t mean free from difficulties, particularly in the economical field.
But I won’t relate in details the ups and downs of our history. Otherwise we would stay
forever without any chance of sharing drinks and French food.
Let me convey my personal greetings to each of you, who welcomed me four months ago in
Jamaica, opening the doors with simplicity and kindness.
You make me feel at home and I do my best to understand this many sided country, a land of
bounty, a land of plenty, a land of beauty and also a land of complexity, facing with courage
huge challenges at social and economical levels.
I am especially happy to be there in this particularly important year when Jamaica celebrates
50 years of independence,
And I am pretty sure that Jamaica is about to enjoy great victories in the Olympic games
which are soon to begin.
Jamaica and France have a longstanding and peaceful relationship.
Given the fact that les Antilles françaises, the French West Indies are part of the Caribbean
region, we are neighbours and should be able to build on this geographical proximity to
enhance our relationship
The cultural area could gain in the coming years from a strengthened cooperation between our
two countries. Lots of Jamaican musicians make the trip to France where they are performing
in a variety of festivals. Reggae, this Jamaican music, is a brand, and sounds familiar to most
of my compatriots.
Every year Jamaican students, with the support of the Embassy have spent one year in France
as “lecteurs” to teach English in French schools and for their own part, improve their
knowledge of France, its language and its people.
Learning and teaching French is taken very seriously by the Jamaican authorities in the first
place by the Ministry of education, UWI and Shortwood College. We do our best to support
those efforts. I extend my greetings to The Jamaica association of French teachers. I recently
met with the principal of UWI and also with the director of Shortwood. We are about to
propose good surprises some of which along with The Alliance française of Jamaïque.
Founded in 1951 this “institution” is part of the cultural landscape in Kingston.
My wish is that it continues in tight relation with the Embassy, which gives strong financial
and moral support, to promote french language and French culture, in connexion with our
francophone friends in the same way as it is already the case for the francophone film festival.
Regarding economics, French companies are active in Jamaica, some of them since many
years :
- Vinci (water supply) for the common satisfaction of the Jamaican authorities and the
french company, both parties always eager to find technical and financial solutions ;
-
Total which is one of the main gas provider in Jamaica,
-
CMA-CGM (shipping company) hopefully expanding in Kingston pretty soon. This
project is linked to the soon been completed enlargement of the Panama canal.
-
Jamaica Agregates Ltd linked to Lafarge
-
And last Bouygues which will unfortunately remain for only a couple of weeks now.
The withdrawal of one of our most famous and I believe highly appreciated companies
after more than 10 years working on the roads (and highways) of Jamaica will be a big
loss. But I want to stay optimistic; One day they will return. Let’s take it as an
illustration of the complexity of the global world in which we live.
In this global, challenging world, where people and governments are facing longstanding
crisis, violence, insecurity, human rights abuses, specifically on women and children, I am
convinced that we share a common willingness to fight for peace, security, respect of each
others. Let’s continue to build on those common values.
In this important day for the French community and in this very important year for all our
Jamaican friends again welcome at the French embassy.
And if You allow me, I would like to address to my french fellow citizens.
Je voudrais vous remercier de votre fidélité, de votre disponibilité en dépit, pour beaucoup
d’entre vous, des tâches qui vous incombent. En retour sachez que les portes de notre petite
ambassade vous sont naturellement ouvertes.
Loin de notre pays nous avons encore plus besoin de solidarité entre nous. Comme vous le
savez à la lecture des journaux, à l’écoute de radios et des télévisions la période est difficile,
chacun doit faire des efforts pour que notre pays soit en mesure de surmonter la crise qui
touche non seulement l’Europe mais la plus grande partie du monde.
En même temps je crois que dans un pays comme la Jamaïque où se manifeste un vrai goût de
la France une envie d’échanges et de reconnaissance mutuelle nous avons toutes et tous envie
de communiquer notre attachement à notre pays.
Donc continuons à le faire du mieux possible de façon à renforcer les liens.
Pour terminer il me revient d’adresser les plus vifs remerciements à nos sponsors auxquels
nous devons d’avoir pu organiser cette soirée.
Last but not least let me thank warmly our sponsors who grant us nicely the opportunity to
celebrate together our national day :
VINCI Grand Projets
TOTAL Jamaica
BOUYGUES Construction
CMA-CGM Jamaica Limited
Jamaica Aggregates Limited
J. WRAY & NEPHEW Limited and Moët Hennessy
and Isle Chix Limited
Je tiens à dire aussi que sans l’équipe de l’Ambassade et de la Résidence rien n’aurait été
possible : merci donc à Jean-Luc Wertheimer, Bruno Jouannem, Salima Amiraly, Monique
Kassis, Lorène Vidal, Eric Koscielny, Patrick Doricic, Karlène Lemaire, Terry-Ann
Campbell, Brian Lumlay, Georgia Lawrence, Maxine Dunn, Devon Hutchinson, George
Cameron.
A toutes et tous, une excellente soirée.
Vive l’amitié franco-jamaïcaine, vive la Jamaïque, vive la France.