KINGSTON, Jamaica —

Prime Minister Andrew Holness says there is significant room for cooperation between the BRICS states — Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa — and the Caribbean region because of a mutual understanding of the issues.

Holness made the suggestion at a town hall meeting today during a visit to South Africa.

He said that such cooperation could probably have a greater sympathetic ear from world leaders towards supporting the development of small economies that are battling issues such as climate change, de-risking, among other things.

Holness is in South Africa on the invitation of President Cyril Ramaphosa in his capacity of Prime Minister as well as Chairman of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) to promote awareness of the Caribbean as a region of economic opportunity. He also spoke to the issues affecting the region.

“We didn’t create this whole business of climate change, our economies don’t create the carbon footprints like others but our economies could be wiped out,” Holness argued.

Holness said that countries in the Caribbean must now operate in a very strategic way and cannot hold on to the old order of things, because things have changed.