CARICOM Chairman, Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica, Hon. Roosevelt Skerrit – I’m happy to acknowledge, as Chairman of the Caribbean Neighborhood (CARICOM), the watershed second two years in the past when the leaders of CARICOM and Africa agreed to designate a date to honour the fraternal and enduring bonds that unite our international locations, and mirror on the importance of our rising strategic partnership to our individuals.
The connection between the Caribbean Neighborhood and the African continent has immense potential to advance precedence areas of mutual curiosity, resembling local weather change, improvement financing, public well being, and reparations.
Our alliance has made exceptional progress in latest occasions. Reciprocal official visits by leaders of CARICOM and Africa have additional strengthened our relationships. On this regard, my fellow CARICOM Heads of Authorities had been delighted to obtain His Excellency Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda, as a Particular Visitor throughout the Forty-Fifth Common Assembly of the Convention in Port-of-Spain, in July. That change allowed us to debate issues, together with well being, digitisation, transport, telecommunications, and reform of the worldwide monetary structure, strategically vital points for the individuals of our Areas.
The latest opening of the AFREXIMBANK Caribbean Workplace in Barbados will advance efforts to develop and promote important commerce and financial relations between the Caribbean and Africa.
It’s that glorious spirit of cooperation that can proceed to unite the Member States of CARICOM and African international locations, as we search to help our sister nation, Haiti, to resolve its ongoing multi-dimensional disaster.
We perceive the significance of solidifying our cooperation and remodeling our proposals into initiatives that contribute to the sustainable improvement of our international locations and the welfare of our peoples. I, subsequently, sit up for the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the CARICOM and the African Union Fee Secretariats.
Individuals-to-people contact stays a major catalyst for our ambitions to advance collaboration between the Caribbean and African nations in commerce, funding, well being, connectivity and different precedence areas. I’m assured that our relationship will proceed to flourish within the years forward. Our Neighborhood is residence to many voters of the African Diaspora, designated as Africa’s Sixth Area. Allow us to proceed to work collectively to additional solidify the ties of friendship and cooperation which have historically bonded us.
I lengthen needs for the well-being and prosperity of the Governments and Individuals of CARICOM and Africa.
