Prime Minister the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew to Attend the Forty-Sixth Regular Meeting of CARICOM Heads of Government in Guyana and VIII Summit of Heads of States and Governments of the CELAC States in St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis, February 12, 2024 (Press Secretary, PMO) – Prime Minister the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew and his delegation are set to attend the Forty-Sixth Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in Guyana, under the Chairmanship of His Excellency Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, scheduled to take place from February 25th to February 28th, 2024.

The delegation includes theSenior Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas; Head of Civil Service, Ms. Thelma Richard; Permanent Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office, Ms. Naeemah Hazelle; Ambassador to OECS and CARICOM; His Excellency Larry Vaughan; Press Secretary, Mrs. Adelcia Connor-Ferlance; and Senior Foreign Service Officer, Bjorn Hazel.

His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, is the Incoming Chair of CARICOM, succeeding the Honourable Roosevelt Skerrit, Prime Minister of Dominica.

The meeting will address pressing issues crucial to the Caribbean region, with a significant focus on territorial threats, crime and violence, climate change, climate financing, regional food and nutrition security, free movement of community nationals, regional security, and the situation in Haiti. Additionally, the agenda will feature discussions on COP 28 and the upcoming Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States.

The meeting will also deliberate on global and hemispheric issues, including developments in the Middle East and emerging situations in Argentina, Ecuador, and Guatemala.

Special guests expected to engage with the Heads of Government include:

His Excellency Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of Brazil

Dr. Ilan Goldfajn, President, Inter-American Development Bank

His Excellency Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Saudi Arabia

Her Excellency Reem al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation, United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Following the conclusion of the CARICOM Heads Meeting, Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew and a section of his delegation will proceed to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines for the VIII Summit of Heads of States and Governments of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC). The two-day summit will commence on Friday, March 1, 2024, at the Sandals Resort at Buccament.

The delegation traveling to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines includes Senior Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas; Ambassador His Excellency, Larry Vaughan; Press Secretary, Mrs. Adelcia Connor-Ferlance; and Foreign Service Officer, Jamella Davis.

CELAC serves as an intergovernmental platform for dialogue and political consensus, comprising a membership of thirty-two nations across Latin America and the Caribbean. Functioning as a regional forum, CELAC aims to unify all countries in the Latin American and Caribbean regions, aspiring to represent a distinctive voice and establish structured mechanisms for policymaking in politics and cooperation to bolster regional integration initiatives.

Founded with a dedication to promoting the incremental advancement of regional integration, unity, and the delicate equilibrium of political, economic, social, and cultural diversities inherent in Latin America and the Caribbean, CELAC embodies a commitment to fostering collaboration and mutual understanding among its member states.

The summit’s leadership will comprise Dr. the Honourable Ralph E. Gonsalves, Prime Minister and Pro Tempore President of CELAC; Senator, the Honourable Keisal M. Peters, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade; and Dr. Douglas W. Slater, National Coordinator and Head of the CELAC Presidential Secretariat.

The summit’s program includes an official opening ceremony on the morning of March 1, 2024, followed by plenary sessions and concludes with a media briefing.

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