France on Friday said it will continue to work alongside its overseas communities to support their regional integration after Paris gave the green light to Martinique for the agreement on accession to the Protocol on the Privileges and Immunities of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
A statement issued by the French Embassy here said that the approval of the CARICOM Agreement on Privileges and Immunities is regarded as “a decisive step towards the regional integration of overseas territories”.
The statement said that the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, and the Minister for Overseas Territories, Mrs Naïma Moutchou, welcome the National Assembly’s approval on Thurdday of the agreement on accession.
“Following the Senate’s vote last January, Parliament has now authorised the final approval of this agreement within a tight timeframe,” the statement said, adding that “this marks a major step forward in strengthening relations between France and CARICOM, as well as in furthering the regional integration of French overseas communities in the Americas.
“This agreement allows the Territorial Collectivity of Martinique to join as an associate member, in accordance with the agreement signed on 20 February 2025 in Bridgetown (Barbados). It also paves the way for the other territorial collectivities of the Antilles-Guyana region to join as associate members,” the statement added.
The European country said it has fully rallied behind Martinique to support “this complex legal process, which involves the interplay between domestic law, European Union law and CARICOM’s own rules.
“This development now opens up concrete prospects: Martinique, along with other territories that might join CARICOM as associate members, will be able to participate in the work of the organisation and its agencies, gain access to more comprehensive information on regional developments, and strengthen their capacity to take action within their immediate geographical environment.”
The statement said that this involvement will thus complement the existing engagement of French communities in the Americas within regional Caribbean organisations, notably the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and the Association of Caribbean States (ACS).
“This development forms part of France’s ambitious policy aimed at strengthening the regional integration of its overseas territories, with a view to promoting their economic development, resilience and influence.
“This strategic direction, first set out at the 2023 Interministerial Committee for Overseas Territories (Comité interministériel des outre-mer or ‘’CIOM’’), was reaffirmed at the 2025 CIOM,” the statement noted.
In February this year, the French Senate gave the green light to Martinique to seek associate membership with CARICOM.
“The Senate’s vote on January 28, 2026 opens a new phase for Martinique within Caricom. The challenge now is to transform this institutional framework into tangible projects and useful cooperation for the territory and its stakeholders.
“Membership is not a symbolic achievement, but the starting point for a regional participation that will be translated into action, in the service of Martinique’s development and integration into the Caribbean,” according to the French-based Richès Karayib, a multimodal and multilingual media platform dedicated to showcasing the culture, heritage and tourism of the Caribbean. (CMC)
