Five presidents and 18 foreign ministers will attend the Caribbean summit

This content was published on May 08, 2023 – 16:04
May 08, 2023 – 16:04

GUATEMALA CITY, May 8 (EFE) – Five presidents and 18 foreign ministers of members of the Association of Caribbean States (AEC) will come to Guatemala this week for the organization’s fourth summit, Guatemala’s foreign ministry said Monday.

Among the leaders is Johnny Briceño, the Prime Minister of Belize. Charles Savarin, President of Dominica; Philip Davis, Prime Minister of the Bahamas, according to a statement released by the host nation’s foreign ministry.

Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Muhammad Irfan Ali, the current president, complete the list of confirmed leaders for the event to be held in the city of Antigua Guatemala, west of the capital of the Central American country. According to the same source.

In addition, 18 foreign ministers, including Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, Trinidad and Tobago, Serbia, South Korea, Panama, Costa Rica, Jamaica and Barbados, will attend on behalf of their countries.

The summit will take place from May 8-12, and will be the first face-to-face edition since 2019 and will include representatives from 25 member countries and the 10 partner countries.

The heads of state are due to arrive on May 10, and the Leaders’ Forum, chaired by Guatemalan President Alejandro Giamatti, will take place on Friday.

The meeting, held under the theme “Innovation Integration through Sustainable Development for the Wider Caribbean Region,” kicks off Monday with the Seventh International Conference on ACS Cooperation.

Issues such as sustainable tourism, trade, transport and natural disasters will be at the center of the agenda, which will seek to define common strategies for the region, according to the organization.

The Association of Caribbean States, founded in 1994 and headquartered in Trinidad and Tobago, brings together countries in the Caribbean region and seeks to create a space for joint economic discussion.

During the event, there will be space for bilateral meetings between foreign ministers and heads of state, as well as invited officials and businessmen. EFE

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