Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will address Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders during their 44th summit that gets underway in The Bahamas on Wednesday.
Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell said the Ukrainian leader will address the regional leaders by video link on Friday from the Ukrainian capital.
In February last year, CARICOM issued a statement “strongly” condemning the military attacks and invasion of Ukraine by Russia and called “for the immediate and complete withdrawal of the military presence and cessation of any further actions that may intensify the current perilous situation in that country.
“The recognition by the Russian Federation of the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk represents a violation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine,” CARICOM said, noting that “the hostilities against Ukraine go counter to the principles of respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, non-interference in the internal affairs of another sovereign state and the prohibition on the threat or use of force, and the peaceful resolution of disputes, which are the bedrock of this Community”.
The 15-member regional integration grouping called on all parties involved “to urgently embark on intensified diplomatic dialogue to immediately de-escalate hostilities and work towards a sustainable peace”.
Mitchell told a news conference that a solution to the instability in Haiti will also be a major agenda item at the three-day conference that will also be attended by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
“You know that Haiti has been descending into chaos as a result of the collapse of their political system,” said Mitchell, adding that “the countries around the world and in this hemisphere have been trying to see what we can do to help.
“The United States has been front and center of this and that is part of the reason why they are bringing such a large delegation. The Bahamas, being 90 miles to the north of Haiti and being the transit passage for Haitians on their way to the United States, the US has been trying to find ways to solve the political situation in Haiti and improve the security in that country.”
Mitchell said the Canadians have agreed to take the lead in trying to resolve some of these problems and that Trudeau will be holding talks with Bahamas Prime Minister Phillip Davis, who is also the CARICOM chairman on the matter.
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