Prime Minister, Foreign Minister Attend 45th CARICOM Heads of Government Meeting
PORT-OF-SPAIN, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO. The Honourable Frederick A. Mitchell, MP, Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Public Service, attended the Forty-Fifth (45th) Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM held on 3rd–5th July, 2023, in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, with the Head of Delegation and outgoing Chair of CARICOM, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, the Honourable Philip E. Davis, K.C., M.P.
The Prime Minister of Dominica, the Honourable Roosevelt Skerrit presided over the Meeting of Heads as the current Chair of the Conference. However, in acknowledgment of the 50th Anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Chaguaramas in 1973, it was agreed that the Government of Trinidad and Tobago would be the host for the meeting.
During the 45th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM, matters discussed included the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), external trade negotiations, the Agri-Food Systems Agenda, climate change and climate finance, the situation in Haiti, advancing regional priorities, sanctions, Cricket World Cup 2024, border issues, and Associate Members.
CARICOM engaged with the following Guests: (i) His Excellency Dr Ahmed Al-Jaber, President-Designate, COP 28; (ii) His Excellency Paul Kagame, President, Republic of Rwanda; (iii) Secretary of State Antony Blinken, US Department of State, and Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, Minority Leader, US House of Representatives; (iv) the Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea, Mr HAN Duck-soo; and (v) Dr Sergio Diaz Granados, Executive President, CAF Development Bank of Latin America.
Heads of Government accepted the invitation of Guyana to host the 46th Regular Meeting of the Conference in the last week of February 2024.
Prime Minister Davis and Foreign Minister Mitchell participated in several bilateral meetings and events held on the margins of the Conference.
On 3rd July, Prime Minister Davis and Minister Mitchell had a bilateral meeting with the Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, H.E. HUA Chunying, who was present in the capacity of the Official Representative of State Councillor and Foreign Minister QIN Gang, along with Her Excellency DAI Qingli, Chinese Ambassador to The Bahamas. Matters discussed included The Bahamas’ 50th Anniversary of Independence, candidatures, upcoming infrastructural developments in The Bahamas, bilateral relations, and areas for growth and cooperation between The Bahamas and China.
On 4th July, Prime Minister Davis and Minister Mitchell met with President Joe Biden’s Special Presidential Advisor for the Americas (SPAA), Mr Chris Dodd. Primary points of discussion included the recent visit of US Vice President Harris to The Bahamas in June 2023, candidatures, national security, arms trafficking, and the Situation in Haiti.
Prime Minister Davis and Minister Mitchell later met with the Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea, Mr HAN Duck-soo, and his Chief of Staff, Mr PARK Sung-keun. They discussed digitalisation, cyber security, economic growth, trade, employment and innovation through the Blue Economy and Ocean Affairs, amongst other subjects.
Other distinguished members of the above delegations were also present in the bilateral meetings.
In addition to the above engagements, Minister Mitchell also led bilateral meetings with officials from Canada, the Republic of Singapore and the Republic of Finland.
Minister Mitchell met with Mr Maninder Sidhu, Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Canada, on 4th July, 2023, where they discussed the shared commitment to fighting climate change and addressed the ongoing crisis in Haiti, The Bahamas’ 50th Anniversary of Independence, and the upcoming CARICOM-Canada Summit to be held later this year.
On 5th July, Minister Mitchell met with Her Excellency Karen Tan, Ambassador of Singapore to CARICOM, to discuss ways to enhance bilateral cooperation with The Bahamas. The Honourable Michael Halkitis, MP, Minister of Economic Affairs and Parliamentary Secretary in the Office of The Prime Minister, Leon Lundy, MP, also participated in the meeting.
Minister Mitchell also met with His Excellency Pertti Ikonen, Ambassador of Finland to The Bahamas. He was accompanied by Mr Jerome Fitzgerald, Senior Policy Advisor in the Office of the Prime Minister. Matters discussed included candidatures, bilateral cooperation, economic relations, and the upcoming EU-CELAC Summit to be held on 17th-18th July, 2023, in Brussels.
In addition to Prime Minister Davis and the delegates from the Office of the Prime Minister, Minister Mitchell was accompanied during the Conference by the Honorary Consul of The Bahamas to Trinidad and Tobago, Dr Elaine Monica Davis, and Foreign Service Officers Mr Antonio V. Butler Jr. and Ms Amber Stubbs.
-END-
Contact Information
dgmfa@bahamas.gov.bs