Strengthening Caribbean, African ties

Prime Minister, Mia Amor Mottley has put forward a proposal for financial support to connect the Caribbean to Africa via direct air travel.

She has made the case in her call for the establishment of a blue ribbon commission between the African Union and CARICOM during the 30th Afreximbank Annual Meetings held in Accra, Ghana.

Ms. Mottley is urging financial institutions like Afreximbank and those in the Caribbean to support this mission of connectivity.

She told a packed meeting of political and business leaders in Africa, she expects it will create new economic opportunities beyond compare on both sides of the Atlantic. 

Prime Minister Mottley has also urged African leaders to consider a greater level of functional cooperation and investment in a number of other critical areas. These include the procurement and manufacture of pharmaceuticals and the provision of tourism services among others. She also expressed concern about visa restrictions affecting tourism from Africa and is calling for the issues to be given urgent attention.

Prime Minister Mottley’s comments come as Afreximbank prepares to launch its regional headquarters in Barbados next month and as the CARICOM Development Fund is now a shareholder in the African financial institution.

Ms. Mottley’s visit to Accra forms part of a two-week overseas mission where she has also been pushing the Bridgetown Initiative – promoting a better deal for small island developing states like Barbados in responding to issues of climate change. She is also to pay an official visit to China and the trip winds down in Paris where she is expected to address a major climate conference.

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