Caribbean heads arrive in Guyana for CARICOM meeting

Guyana is abuzz with activity today as Caribbean leaders and other foreign guests have touched down for the 46th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

The opening ceremony starts at 5 pm AST. Several leaders have already arrived including Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago Dr Keith Rowley, Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Dominica Roosevelt Skerrit, Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis Dr Terrance Drew, Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines Dr Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of Grenada Dickon Mitchell, Premier of Montserrat Easton Taylor-Farrell, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda Gaston Browne and President of Suriname Chandrikapersad Santokhi.

Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda Gaston Browne before departing for Guyana said that key issues of great importance to the region will be discussed at the four-day Meeting, including the serious humanitarian and security situation in Haiti and plans for the T/20 Cricket World Cup that the region, including Antigua and Barbuda will host in June.

Prime Minister Browne who is accompanied by the country's Ambassador to CARICOM, Dr Clarence Henry said that Heads will also discuss the Guyana-Venezuela border issue along with the Belize-Guatemala demarcation claim.

In addition, discussions will be held with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva; President of the Inter-American Development Bank, Ilan Goldfajn; Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Saudi Arabia, Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir and Minister of State for International Cooperation of the United Arab Emirates, Reem al Hashimy.

Other items on the Agenda are Climate Change and Climate Financing, Report from the Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee on Reparations, update on the situation in the British Virgin Islands, Status of the Caribbean Court of Justice Trust Fund, Developments in the Middle East: Israel's Continued Bombing of Gaza and the Fourth International Conference on Small Island Development States to be held in Antigua and Barbuda in May.

This year's meeting will run from February 25 to 28, 2024, and will be convened under the Chairmanship of President Dr Irfaan Ali, who will provide the feature address at the opening ceremony.

Source: Loop News