President Irfaan Ali departed for Ottawa, Canada this morning, where he will join other CARICOM leaders for the Canada-CARICOM Summit.
The Summit, which is being held under the theme “Strategic Partners for a Resilient Future”, aims to strengthen bilateral cooperation between Canada and the Region.
The President held discussions with the Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana last week, ahead of this week’s summit in Canada.
According to the Office of the President, President Ali will be among regional leaders advancing shared priorities in a number of areas including building inclusive and sustainable economies and increasing trade and investment. Climate Change and its impact on the Caribbean are among other critical issues that will be discussed.
The President is being accompanied by the Minister of Public Service, Sonia Parag.
The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau will co-chair the three-day Summit alongside the Prime Minister of Dominica, Roosevelt Skerrit, who is the current Chairman of CARICOM. The summit opens on Tuesday.
It is being held at a time when the 15-member regional bloc is celebrating its 50th anniversary, and according to the Government of Canada, the high-level forum will highlight Canada’s strong ties with the Caribbean and provide an opportunity for leaders to continue to strengthen cooperation and chart a better future for people in both regions.
“I look forward to welcoming leaders from the Caribbean Community to Ottawa this month. Canada and the Caribbean Community have built an enduring partnership over the last 50 years, based on ties between our people and our shared commitment to democracy, the rule of law, and human rights. At this Summit and beyond, we will keep working together to take climate action, build strong economies, and keep people safe, now and into the future,” Prime Minister Trudeau was quoted as saying, in a statement issued by his government earlier this month.
According to the statement, Prime Minister Trudeau will also use the opportunity to highlight the importance of reinforcing democratic values, promoting human rights and the rules-based international order, and strengthening coordination on regional security, including responding to the ongoing security, political, and humanitarian crises in Haiti.
As co-Chair of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Advocates group, Prime Minister Trudeau is also expected to advance the SDGs – the pathway for the world to build a more sustainable, peaceful, and prosperous future for everyone.
Canada has long-standing ties with many CARICOM countries on a wide range of shared priorities, including trade, security and defence, international assistance and governance.
The Summit builds on the work Canada is doing to strengthen ties with the region.
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