The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Albert Ramdin, and the Ambassador of France to the Eastern Caribbean States, Barbados and OECS, Francis Etienne, today signed an agreement to strengthen and promote French language education in the Eastern Caribbean, during a ceremony held on the margins of the OAS General Assembly in Antigua and Barbuda.

According to the agreement, the organizations will collaborate to better integrate the use of French into public education policies in Saint Lucia, Dominica, Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, and Saint Kitts and Nevis. The initiative also includes training French language teachers in pedagogy, didactics, and linguistics. Additionally, the project aims to spark student interest at the primary and secondary levels and increase the number of young people capable of studying and working in French.

During the signing ceremony at the headquarters of the OAS General Assembly in St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda, Secretary General Ramdin highlighted the importance of the project as a “pivotal agreement that underscores our collective commitment to progress, integration, and mutual understanding across the Americas.” Ambassador Ramdin also thanked France for their “unwavering support, generosity and commitment to multilateralism and cultural exchange.”

For his part, Ambassador Etienne celebrated the initiative and reiterated France’s commitment to amplify cooperation with the Organization. He said the initiative is “the beginning, a small step for us today, but a big step for cooperation between France and the OAS.” He added, “We hope there will be other opportunities, not only in promoting languages, but in terms of security, health, and other fields. This includes our focus on Caribbean culture, Caribbean politics, and Caribbean development.”

France is a Permanent Observer of the OAS since 1972.