BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – LAST week was a significant development in the relations between the United States and the small island nations of the Caribbean Community. Trinidad and Tobago hosted an official visit to the region by United States Vice President Joe Biden. Caribbean leaders, including our own Prime Minister, Freundel Stuart, held meetings with Mr. Biden and his delegation.
It was in those meetings that both sides would have exchanged views on the current state of relations between the USA and CARICOM and explored opportunities on how to improve their ties in this changing global economic and political environment. CARICOM’s Chairman, Michel Martelly, who is also President of Haiti, summed up the discussions with Mr. Biden as very fruitful and insisted that they further strengthened the relations between the two sides.
One of the high points of the meetings was the renewal of a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement which, according to reports following the deliberations in Port of Spain, should benefit the Caribbean as countries look for ways to improve their economic situation. The view is that this arrangement will allow for more trade and investment, the latter being of immense importance to the economic revival of this region.
