Minister Greene speaks towards harmonization of foreign policy amongst CARICOM Member States

NASSAU, The Bahamas – 11^th May, 2018…….On 8^th May, 2018, Antigua and Barbuda participated in the 21^st Meeting of the Council of Community and Foreign Relations (COFCOR) held in Nassau, Bahamas. The Honourable E.P. Chet Greene, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Immigration participating in his first COFCOR Meeting remarked on the importance of harmonizing and coordinating the various foreign policy platforms that exist within the CARICOM Member States.

Minister Greene stated that the Community must focus on developing strategic foreign policy initiatives that would seek to bring maximum benefits to the people of the Caribbean. Additionally, he emphasized that CARICOM must ensure that countries who seek to lobby Member States for support should ensure that the interests of the community such as derisking, climate change and graduation and access to concessionary financing must feature in their advocacy efforts on the international stage.

During the margins of the COFCOR Meeting, the Foreign Minister held bilateral meetings with third states which included Romania, Norway and Canada. Antigua and Barbuda is set to benefit in the areas of human resource development and climate change mitigation as a result of the discussions.

The delegation of Antigua and Barbuda consisted of the Honourable E.P. Chet Greene, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Immigration, His Excellency Anthony Liverpool, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Immigration, and Mr. Kurt Williams, Foreign Service Officer, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Immigration.

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