Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley today addressed key issues at a special meeting hosted by Caribbean Community (Caricom) Heads of Government where she also handed over chairmanship of the Community to Prime Minister of St Vincent Dr Ralph Gonsalves.
Mottley expressed thanks to Caricom Secretary General Irwin LaRocque, the Secretariat and the agencies which have assisted the Community in the ongoing novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
She spoke of the valuable assistance of agencies such as the Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) in monitoring borders, Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), Caribbean Disaster Management Agency (CDEMA), Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Among the issues discussed were:
Coping with the effects of COVID-19;
Tourism;
Tackling debt reduction and access to concessional funding on the international market;
Access to a programme to purchase personal protective equipment and medical supplies such as therapeutics at better rates;
LIAT and the way forward for travel within the region;
Democratic elections and the ongoing situation in Guyana;
Treatment of Caricom countries by the European Union and her opposition to bullying in any form.
Mottley said COVID-19 has started 2020 in a way that will be remembered, but despite the challenges, she believes the region can make it. (KG)
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