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The States is working on a written agreement with Condor that will put greater emphasis on the northern routes.
Policy & Resources President Peter Ferbrache revealed that States officials are in talks with the operator over a new Heads of Terms, also known as a Memorandum of Understanding, which is expected to be completed early next year.
While Condor remain tight-lipped about the ongoing discussions, Deputy Ferbrache has opened up on what he "feels" is going to unfold as talks progress.
“There have been very good discussions with the current owners of Condor. It’s likely that a Heads of Terms will be signed in the next six to eight weeks and then the detail will come," he said.
Pictured: Ferry services to France are viewed as "important", however Deputy Ferbrache wants to see more emphasis on connections with the UK.
"It’s the detail that is the difficult bit. I’ve got a feeling that we are going to end up with a long-term contract which will be for the benefit of Guernsey because the current one - we didn’t sign up to the agreement - Jersey signed up and the agreement is very much swayed towards Jersey."
He described Guernsey as a "second-class citizen in relation to that agreement", which he is confident will be addressed in a written but non-binding arrangement.
"To a degree you can understand that because there are more people in Jersey than there are in Guernsey," he said. "But the northern route is more important to us. I’m not saying the southern route is not important - that is important - but I think we will get an arrangement that is for the benefit of Guernsey. I have had two/three briefings in the last week about Condor and they are all positive."
Pictured: Guernsey's senior politician said the island is the "second-class citizen" in the current relationship with Condor, compared to Jersey.
Condor CEO Paul Luxon confirmed that discussions are taking place.
"As we have shown throughout the pandemic, Condor remains absolutely committed to providing the best possible sea connectivity across the three parts of our business – essential freight, travel for islanders and the visitor economy – and looks forward to continuing these discussions for the benefit of all parties," he added.
There is an Operating Agreement between Condor and the States of Jersey, however Deputy Ferbrache - who had a short stint as Economic Development President last term - was part of a committee that decided against signing a new MoU with the ferry company in 2017.
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