KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) — Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, will attend two Jamaica 55 Diaspora conference launches in Miami and New York on April 24 and 25, respectively.

The Miami launch, set to begin at 6:30 pm at the Miramar City Hall, Miramar, Florida, is the first in a series of Diaspora launches for the Jamaica 55 Diaspora Conference scheduled to take place at the Jamaica Conference Centre, downtown, Kingston from July 23 to 26.

The New York launch will take place at the Consulate General of Jamaica in the city, beginning at 6:30 pm.

Addressing journalists at the ministry’s quarterly press briefing yesterday, Johnson Smith said that she will be leading a team from the ministry to the two launches to address the Jamaican community and to “drive interest’ in Miami and New York.

The minister said that other launches will be held, if there is time before the conference.

“The time is short, so we are looking at whether the schedule can permit a London event, which we are hoping for in May, depending on the time. We have not been able to map other locations,” she added.

Since the official launch of the conference earlier this month, the minister said that Jamaicans overseas have shown “excitement and enthusiasm across the board about coming home.”

“We certainly are looking forward to having them here from July 23 to 26 in downtown, Kingston, as the city celebrates its 145th anniversary as our capital, and as we celebrate our 55th anniversary of Independence,” she noted.

She encouraged Jamaicans to log on to dca@mfaft.gov.jm for further details of the conference or to get in touch with the nearest Consulate or Mission in their area.

The Jamaica 55 Diaspora Conference was officially launched on Tuesday, April 4 at the office of the Prime Minister in Kingston. The Conference is convened every two years by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, in collaboration with several partners.