His Excellency Rodolfo Sabonge, Secretary General of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS), met with Dr. the Honourable Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines at Kingstown, St. Vincent, on 2 February 2023.
During this strategic engagement, they focused on an organic integration in Latin American and Caribbean countries that allows for the whole to be greater than the sum of its parts. Reflecting on the geographic, historical and cultural ties between Latin America and the Caribbean, the two agreed on the need for the Region to collectively address such key challenges as climate change and food security and examine practical ways to solve the connectivity issues dogging development and integration.
In this regard, Prime Minister Gonsalves acknowledged the mandate of the ACS to address what he termed the four Ts of the ACS: trade, transport, tourism and technology, in addition to climate change and Disaster Risk Reduction. Also present at the meeting was Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Keisal Peters. They noted the bridging role that Saint Vincent and the Grenadine has played in hemispheric and international relations, as past President of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and now Chair of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), based on a steadfast focus on people-centric development, equality of sovereign states, mutual respect and “good manners” indispensable to inclusive and constructive dialogue and problem solving among nations.
The Secretary General congratulated the Prime Minister of the Saint Vincent and the Grenadine’s appointment to chair CELAC, becoming the first CARICOM member to achieve that milestone. He offered ACS support to strengthen cooperation within the Greater Caribbean region.
