CARICOM welcomes new US/Caribbean legislation
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Council of Ministers ended a two-day meeting in Georgetown on Tuesday saying it was appreciative of the Caribbean’s good working relationship with past US administrations and was looking forward to working with the Donald Trump administration.
The Council, the second highest organ of the 15-member CARICOM grouping, said it welcomed the recent passage of the US-Caribbean Strategic Engagement Act of 2016, which calls for a new long-term strategy to strengthen ties between the United States government and the Caribbean region. President Barack Obama signed the legislation on December 16, last year.
“We note with satisfaction the overwhelming bipartisan support received in both Houses of Congress for the Act and thank its sponsors, Representative Eliot L. Engel, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, and Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, former Chair of the Committee, for their tireless efforts.
“We recognize that this Act is both timely and significant, and commend both Houses of Congress and the US Administration for this proactive and collaborative approach to engagement with the Caribbean region.”
The CARICOM Council said it believes that the multi-year strategy mandated by this Act “will engender increased interaction between the Caribbean and the United States, especially in the areas of security, trade, economic development, energy, education and Diaspora engagement.
