Jamaica’s Ambassador to the United States, Audrey Marks says Prime Minister Andrew Holness’s recent visit to the United States was productive and will see numerous rewards for the island, as a consequence.
The visit, from March 29 – April 1, included meetings with the Vice President of the United States, Secretaries of State and Treasury, members of the United States Congress (in both the Senate and the House of Representatives) and the Head of the United States Agency for International Development.
Ambassador Marks said the visit was undertaken to strengthen connections between the administration of both countries, especially in the context of the 60th Anniversary of Jamaica’s Independence, as well as 60 years of bilateral relations between Jamaica and the United States of America.
During the discussions with the Biden Administration, Prime Minister Holness proposed what he called “Plan Secure Jamaica,” a new framework within which the two countries can enhance cooperation for mutual benefit.
This mechanism will promote Jamaica as a model in the region of how a democratic country can achieve prosperity with US cooperation, in addition to support and friendship whilst offering added security and stability to the US ‘third border.’
The immediate priorities include enhancing security and promoting human capital development as well as supporting energy security and promoting Jamaica as a nearshore technology.
Ambassador Audrey Marks said the US, in recognition of the central importance of the Jamaica-USA relationship, is very supportive of Jamaica’s proposal and the two countries agreed to streamline the current cooperation activities through the establishment of a working group. This, she said, is within the established Strategic Dialogue framework to take the relationship to a new level based on tangible and transformative outcomes.
Holness was the first Jamaican leader to visit the White House since a 1995 visit by former Jamaican Prime Minister P.J. Patterson.
