Roseau, Dominica: Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit engaged with Special Guest, President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, at the 45th Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM.
CARICOM leaders gathered at the Convention Center, Chaguaramas on Tuesday to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Chaguaramas.
CARICOM Chairman Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit and his colleague heads braved the pouring rain to plant a tree in commemoration of the occasion. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit chaired the 45th Regular Meeting of the CARICOM Heads of Government held at the Hyatt Regency, Trinidad.
Representatives of foreign governments and heads of international organizations delivered congratulatory and solidarity remarks as CARICOM marked 50 years since its establishment in Chaguaramas.
In plenary, leaders focused their discussions on matters related to climate change, the Caribbean Single Market and Economy and regional efforts to reduce food imports by 25 percent by 2025. The Heads of Government Conference is continuing today with the situation in Haiti among agenda items.
PM Roosevelt Skerrit, along with my CARICOM colleagues planted a tree in commemoration of the occasion. The US top diplomat, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Democratic Leader in the US House of Representatives, Congressman Hakeem Jeffries addressed Caribbean leaders on Wednesday.
CARICOM Chairman, Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerrit called for US support to address some of the region’s most pressing challenges including energy security, food security, issues of blacklisting, correspondent banking and access to concessional development financing; as well as the situation in Haiti.
The US Secretary of State told Heads he supports calls for a multinational force to restore security in Haiti saying “this is is an area of intense focus for us.”
He also focused on climate change and tackling crime in the region, and pledged nearly $5.5 million to help the region’s small farmers increase their productivity and access to technology. Congressman Jeffries also pledged solidarity in addressing a number of critical issues including regional security and the climate crisis.
