MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND FOREIGN TRADE
MEDIA RELEASE
Minister Terrelonge extends best wishes to Jamaican athletes ahead of 2024 Paris Olympics
The Honourable Alando Terrelonge, Minister of State in Jamaica’s Foreign Ministry, has extended best
wishes to the country’s athletes as they prepare to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics. The State
Minister was speaking at the French Embassy in Kingston on Bastille Day 2024, observed on July 14
annually.
“As our athletes prepare to take the global stage at the 2024 Paris Olympics, I use this opportunity
to also wish them well. We are filled with immense pride and unwavering confidence in their abilities and we stand united in support of their endeavours. May their efforts not only bring glory and pride, but also inspire and uplift us, reminding the world of the extraordinary talent and resilience that define our peoples,” the State Minister said.
During his Remarks, the Minister also highlighted the longstanding friendship between Jamaicans and the French, noting that France was among the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with independent Jamaica, almost 62 years ago.nister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Honourable Kamina Johnson Smith.
He noted the numerous partnerships between the two nations, including those in language and culture, health, skills training, education and sport. The Minister noted that the upcoming Paris Olympics, which commences on July 26 through to August 11, underscores the importance both countries place on the field of sport. “I am pleased that our countries have recognised the scope for partnership in Sport and are currently working to create a framework for the deepening of our relations in this area,” he added.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and
Sport and the French Embassy in Kingston, are taking steps towards finalising a Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) for Bilateral Cooperation in the Field of Sport. Once complete, the agreement
would serve to facilitate the development of joint initiatives in various sporting disciplines such as
fencing, rugby, handball, athletics, canoeing, sailing and skateboarding
As Jamaican athletes and patrons head to the Paris Olympics, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
Foreign Trade wishes to advise that in the absence of a Jamaican consular presence in France, the
Jamaican Embassy in Brussels provides consular services in France. For consular emergencies (lost
passports for example), contact should be made with the Consular Section of the Embassy at telephone number +32 2 234 69 64 or by email consular@jamaica-brussels.be. Consular hours are from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm Mondays to Thursdays and 10:00 am to 3:30 pm on Fridays. The Embassy is located at Avenue Herrmann-Debroux 44, Auderghem, 1160 Brussels
Bastille Day is the National Day of France, and this year’s celebrations commemorate the 235th anniversary of the French Republic’s independence, which began with the storming of the Bastille in 1789
