(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) “Chile´s commitment to work together with CARICOM countries remains a firm priority.” This assurance was given by the newly accredited Plenipotentiary Representative of Chile to the Caribbean Community, H.E. Luis Fernando Ayala, who also affirmed that the Community can count on Chile as a “loyal ally and friend.”
Ambassador Ayala presented his letters of credence to Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, CARICOM Secretary-General on Wednesday at the Georgetown, Guyana Headquarters of the CARICOM Secretariat before an audience that included Guyana’s envoy to Chile, Mr. Yesu Persaud.
In affirming the strength of Chile’s cooperation commitment to the Community, Mr. Ayala said that since the “reestablishment of democracy” in his country, it had “inaugurated a new chapter” in political and economic ties with CARICOM that had as its objective, the building of a “rich and common bilateral and multilateral agenda.” That agenda, he said, was established upon common values between Chile and CARICOM in respect of human rights, international law, territorial integrity, and the promotion of democracy.
Mr. Ayala said that Chile was committed to deepening its cooperation with CARICOM that had materialised over the years in the provision technical assistance in areas including agriculture, mining, international negotiations, and language training. As the two parties explored new avenues for cooperation, he said his government was pleased with the outcome of the Special Meeting of the CARICOM Heads of Government and the President of Chile, H.E. Sebastián Piñera, in Santiago Chile, which provided the “opportunity to reaffirm the importance of CARICOM for the Region.”
In the spirit of the Declaration of Santiago, he relayed that the Director of International Cooperation Agency of Chile would be visiting CARICOM Member States soon to assess ongoing cooperation projects and programmes developed under the Chile-CARICOM 2012-2014 Programme.
The newly accredited Ambassador lauded the cordial and open dialogue which pervaded the Special Meeting of CARICOM Heads of Government and Chile within the margin of the CELAC Summit in Santiago earlier this year, and affirmed his government’s interest in holding the Third Meeting of the CARICOM-Chile Joint Commission in 2014.
“We are convinced that CELAC is called to change our political profile in the international arena and give to the countries and people of Latin America and the Caribbean a new task in order to move forward and materialize political, economic and social integration in the region,” Mr. Ayala stated.
