BRUSSELS, Belgium (CMC)— The Caribbean has welcomed the political deal reached between the chief negotiators for the European Union and the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), for a new partnership accord to replace the Cotonou Agreement

“Once the Post-Cotonou Agreement has been initialled and subsequently signed in Samoa, let us ensure that this landmark agreement is effectively implemented in a manner that takes the OACPS-EU relationship to a higher level, that enables the Caribbean-EU partnership to realise its full potential and advances sustainable development in all our regions, and further sustains intra-OACPS cooperation,” said Jamaica’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Kamina Johnson-Smith.

Johnson-Smith, speaking on behalf of the Caribbean group at the 10th meeting of chief negotiators of the OACPS/EU post-Cotonou agreement yesterday, where the political deal was announced, said that it had been a “long journey of over two years, during which we have engaged in the task of negotiating a successor agreement to the Cotonou Partnership Agreement.

The Cotonou Agreement is a treaty between the European Union and the ACP that was signed in June 2000 in Cotonou, Benin’s largest city. It entered into force in 2003 and was subsequently revised in 2005 and 2010.

It is regarded as the most comprehensive partnership agreement between developing countries and the EU and in 2010, ACP-EU cooperation has been adapted to new challenges such as climate change, food security, regional integration, state fragility and aid effectiveness.

The fundamental principles of the Cotonou Agreement include equality of partners, global participation, dialogue and regionalisation. The agreement is re-examined every five years.