CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Turkey will continue to strengthen their relations with the accreditation of Ambassador Sulé Oztunç, as new Plenipotentiary Representative of Turkey to the Community.
In accepting her credentials on Tuesday, CARICOM Secretary-General Ambassador Irwin LaRocque said the occasion signaled Turkey’s growing commitment to ensure “the immense potential” of its relationship with CARICOM was “fully realized.
Speaking during a short ceremony at the CARICOM Secretariat in Georgetown, Guyana, Ambassador LaRocque recalled the First Co-operation and Consultation Meeting held in Turkey in July between the two sides. Since that first meeting, he said CARICOM had seen results as the representatives of Turkish International Development Agency had come to the Region and received projects for its consideration. Relaying that one included the enhancing of information and communications technology at the Secretariat, Ambassador LaRocque added that the Community anticipated the development of an action plan that will guide the implementation of the other areas identified at that meeting.
The Secretary-General alluded to a Memorandum of Understanding concluded with the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey (DEIK) which he said would pave the way for the establishment of Turkey CARICOM Business Councils. “These Councils will no doubt assist in building trade relations between our countries,” he added.
Ambassador LaRocque and Ambassador Oztunc agreed that the Councils would also be a mechanism to spur investment in the Region.
The Turkish Ambassador said there had been “positive feedback” in Turkey following that First Meeting and it was a good start which must be continued with more regular interface.
Photos of the accreditation ceremony can be downloaded from the CARICOM Flickr site at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/caricomorg/sets/72157648703348866
You can also download a video recording of the ceremony from the CARICOM Vimeo site at: https://vimeo.com/108949269
Follow the latest from the Caribbean Community at http://today.caricom.org/
