(MFA&FT Kingston: October 23, 2017)

 

Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, leaves Jamaica today to represent Prime Minister the Most Honourable Andrew Holness in leading Jamaica’s delegation to Belize City, Belize for the Fourth Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Mexico.  The Summit is scheduled for Wednesday, October 25 and will be preceded by the Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of CARICOM and Mexico. 

 

Convened under the co-chairmanship of the Honourable Dean Barrow, Prime Minister of Belize and His Excellency Enrique Peña Nieto, President of Mexico, the CARICOM-Mexico Summit is set to explore increased cooperation in infrastructural development; maritime education; disaster preparedness and management and climate change and security. Political developments in the hemisphere and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development will also be discussed.

 

A new 2017-2019 CARICOM-Mexico Technical Cooperation programme plan of action and a Joint Declaration are the two major expected outcomes of the discussions.

 

Minister Johnson Smith said, “Disaster Preparedness and Management as well as Climate Change are likely to be particularly high on the agenda for both sides of the Summit in light of recent tragic disasters which have affected our brothers and sisters across the region.”

 

Expressing positive expectations of the Summit, Minister Johnson Smith also said, “An intensified CARICOM-Mexico cooperation programme will certainly improve the prospects for increased economic growth and development for the Latin American and Caribbean region.  In a context where Jamaica and Mexico have been strengthening our bi-lateral cooperation efforts, we further support the goals of this Summit.”

 

 

The relationship between Jamaica and Mexico has, over the years, seen cooperation in energy; agriculture; infrastructure; education; science and technology and metrology. 

 

Ann-Margaret Lim