Barbados is looking to leverage its historical ties with the people of Charleston, South Carolina as it seeks to deepen relations.
This was disclosed recently by Acting Prime Minister, Santia Bradshaw, who spoke at a reception attended by a delegation led by the Mayor of Charleston, South Carolina, John J. Tecklenburg.
“Today, we continue to look towards the future, leveraging our shared heritage as a springboard for exploration into the myriad opportunities for collaboration that exists between us. Your very presence here… heralds a future of ever-strengthening ties between us.
“Barbados looks forward to broadening the scope of that relationship with Charleston beyond mere cultural heritage because there is so much more; cultural heritage is very powerful, but we believe that we can also expand into unexplored areas of mutual interests,” Bradshaw stated.
The acting prime minister expressed the hope that the visit will not only open the door for continued cooperation in the area of culture but also in tourism, sustainable development, global life sciences, technology, and education.
Mayor Tecklenburg, in his remarks, emphasized that he, along with the delegation was “excited to be in Barbados and it feels like we’ve come back from whence we came.” He noted that Barbadians founded the city of Charleston, and as a result had a lot in common, notably food, culture, and architecture.
Tecklenburg also pointed out that he envisioned a beautiful future and relationship between his city and Barbados and pledged “we’re going to keep this relationship growing and alive.”
Both officials thanked those who organized the trip for the approximately 50 delegates from the business and cultural community of Charleston, South Carolina.
The delegation arrived on October 12 and will be on the island until October 19. While there the delegates will engage in business meetings, roundtable discussions, visit historic sites, and culinary and cultural events.
The visit coincides with the 25th anniversary of the twinning of the cities of Charleston, South Carolina, and Speightstown in Barbados.
CMC
