It is my honour and pleasure to extend a warm welcome to you, Ambassador Martino, on the occasion of your accreditation as the Plenipotentiary Representative of the Argentine Republic to the Caribbean Community. First, allow me to extend my heartfelt best wishes to your President, Her Excellency Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, as she continues to recover from her recent surgery.
Distinguished guests, Ambassador Martino is no stranger to the Secretariat. Ever since President Kirchner’s Administration decided to re-open Argentina’s Embassy in Guyana in June 2011, Ambassador Martino has worked assiduously at strengthening the CARICOM-Argentina relations at the regional level through several meetings with myself and senior officials of the Secretariat. I am happy to note that, in addition to the excellent job that Ambassador Martino is doing in representing his country in Georgetown, six of his colleagues are doing the same in our CARICOM sister countries of Barbados, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago where Argentina has established Embassies. The re-opening of Embassies as well as the establishment of new Embassies in CARICOM Member States is a testament to the commitment of Argentina to the deepening of relations with CARICOM.
Moreover, the unwavering support that Argentina has given to Haiti in the aftermath of that country’s 2010 earthquake, in addition to the areas for cooperation being developed between Argentina and CARICOM Member States at the bilateral level, all send a very powerful message of Argentina’s determination to enhance its relations with the Region. Excellency, let me assure you that CARICOM is most appreciative of the support Haiti has received from Argentina and looks forward to the further deepening of relations with all the CARICOM Member States.
One of the avenues by which CARICOM and Argentina can pursue their relations is the CARICOM-Argentina Joint Commission. It is my hope that this body can meet as soon as possible in order to explore areas for further cooperation at the regional level in the areas identified; namely, the political, commercial, economic, scientific, technical and cultural fields.
Your Excellency, on the hemispheric and global levels, bodies such as the Organization of American States (OAS), the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), and the United Nations provide a platform for CARICOM and Argentina to cooperate on issues of mutual importance. We look forward to Argentina’s support as we seek to advance the interests of small vulnerable economies in international fora. It is also my hope that the Community will benefit from Argentina’s support in several international fora, including the work of the Sixty-Eighth United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) of which the presidency is held by a distinguished diplomat from the CARICOM country of Antigua and Barbuda, Ambassador John Ashe and whose guiding force will be the theme “The Post-2015 Development Agenda: Setting the Stage”.
It is against this background, Ambassador Martino, that my staff and I look forward to working closely with you and your staff to foster the deepening of the Community’s relations with Argentina. We also feel confident that with increased technical cooperation, cultural links will evolve creating opportunities for greater interaction between the people of Argentina and the Caribbean Community.
On that note, Your Excellency, I wish to welcome you to the CARICOM family.
