US/CARICOM – Bahamas meeting with Vice President Harris
St. Vincent’s Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves will not attend the CARICOM leaders meeting in the Bahamas with US Vice President Kamala Harris today.
Gonsalves said on Wednesday, while speaking on NBC radio, that unfortunately, several exigencies will keep him at home, but the island will be well represented.
“I don’t think that 14 heads of government from CARICOM should go to meet the Vice President; it is going to be a 60-minute meeting. I mean, on a subject, you may have 20 minutes of discussion. The Dominican Republic is going to be there, and 14 countries plus the Vice President of the United States, what kind of discussion are you going to have, with just 1 or 2 persons earmarked to speak, so everybody doesn’t need to go”.
“There are other considerations, too, which have kept me at home. I intended to go, but you know, at the last minute, after a full consideration of everything, I decided not to go, but I’ll be party to all those discussions”, Gonsalves said.
Harris will meet with Caribbean leaders and advance efforts to combat climate change. She and Bahamas Prime Minister Philip Davis, the current chair of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), will co-host the U.S.-Caribbean Leaders Meeting.
The U.S.-Caribbean Leaders Meeting will address a range of regional issues, including security and economic prosperity. In particular, the Vice President and Caribbean leaders will continue discussions on shared efforts to address the climate crisis by promoting climate resilience and adopting renewable energy.
This meeting builds on the Vice President’s previous meetings with Caribbean leaders in April 2022, at the June 2022 Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles, and in September 2022.
The Vice President’s trip also delivers on the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to advance cooperation with the Caribbean, pursue shared prosperity and security, and celebrate the common bonds between nations.
