Ottawa, 22 June 2023 (TDI): The Caribbean Community and common market (CARICOM) are observing their 50th anniversary with the theme “50 years strong: A solid foundation to build on.”
Canada has also joined in celebrating the anniversary by meeting with CARICOM, where the deepening of diplomatic ties has been discussed. The discussions also contained dialogue on the leadership in Haiti and other regional issues.
Canadian Minister for Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly also tweeted her support and acknowledgment of CARICOM and their efforts to stabilize the Caribbean region.
She met with many foreign ministers and leaders of the region, like the Foreign Minister of Belize, Eamon Courtenay, with whom she discussed the strengthening of their relations and addressed their mutual concerns.
Dominica and Canada’s Joint Statement
Apart from this meeting, Canada also made a joint statement with the Dominican Republic on June 21. Both states addressed the solid bilateral relations and the commitment both countries have in strengthening their cooperation in regional affairs like the Haiti crisis by supporting Haitian-owned and led solutions for stability.
The discussion also addressed the burdens that the Dominican Republic faced as a sole neighbor to the unstable country of Haiti on economic and social means. Agreements on the enhancement of international cooperation, humanitarian, and securitization assistance for Haiti were also made. The efforts by international organizations like the united nations integrated office in Haiti and CARICOM were also acknowledged.
Canada also announced 100 million dollars of additional funds for Haiti, apart from their earlier provisions for the crisis. Canada also affirms enhanced coordination in Haiti and the Dominican Republic by increasing its presence at Canadian embassies in Santo Domingo and Port-au-Prince.
The statement says, “Canada and the DR are committed to continuing to work together and with the international community to support a Haitian-led long-term solution to the ongoing crisis.”
