The vice president of the European Investment Bank (EIB), Ricardo Mourinho Félix, will lead a high-level delegation to Barbados and St. Lucia next week.
Felix will also be accompanied by the European Union Ambassador to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean States and CARICOM/CARIFORUM, Małgorzata Wasilewska, during his first visit to the Caribbean.
The EIB delegation will begin a four-day visit to Bridgetown and Castries on Monday” to reaffirm the EU bank’s commitment to projects promoting sustainable development in the Caribbean.”
An EU statement said Félix will announce finance for a healthcare project in St. Lucia and will hold meetings with key stakeholders in Barbados to cement the close working relationship between the EIB and the Caribbean. He will hold talks with Prime Minister Phillip J. Pierre on Monday and meet with Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley on Wednesday.
“As the EU climate bank, the EIB is committed to providing high-impact investment in the Caribbean in the context of the wider EU Team Europe Initiative. The EIB can offer targeted funding to support the region facing the effects of climate change and I will announce more finance for projects in the Caribbean during my visit this week,” Felix said ahead of his visit to the region.
“As the Bank of the European Union and as part of Team Europe, we have launched EIB Global, a new branch devoted to international partnerships and development finance. Through these solid partnerships, we support Caribbean countries to scale up their inclusive green transition, leading to a sustainable post-COVID recovery.”
Wasilewska said she is very much looking forward to the first visit by Felix to the Caribbean region. “Through the activities of the European Investment Bank, the Caribbean people can benefit from financing initiatives of the European Union such as the Green Deal and the Global Gateway. These initiatives all help to counter the consequences of climate change, the impact of the Russian invasion in Ukraine and the effects of the pandemic,” she added.
The EIB delegation, which includes its new representative in Barbados, Kristina Eisele, will attend the launch of the new regional partnerships between the CARIFORUM countries and European Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen on October 12.
The EU said following the launch of EIB Global this year, the visit will enable a closer working relationship with the Caribbean authorities including the ministerial, banking, and regional representatives the delegation will meet next week.
EIB Global is the new development arm of the Bank launched in 2022. It builds on more than six decades of EIB operations outside the European Union and brings all the resources of the EIB to bear on operations outside the European Union. EIB Global will foster strong, focused partnerships with countries around the globe, including the Caribbean.
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