GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC – Guyana will host the second AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum (ACTIF23) in October, according to a statement.

The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and the Guyana government said the October 30-31 event will be held under the theme “Creating a Shared Prosperous Future” and will focus on consolidating commercial collaboration between the Caribbean region and Africa, for increased inter-regional trade and investment following the last edition held in September 2022 in Barbados.

“Guyana looks forward to hosting the second AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum. We are keen to actively harness the potential of our economic relations as we build on the historic ties between Africa and the Caribbean,” said Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd.

President and chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank, Benedict Oramah in announcing the October event said “going by the impressive gains we have recorded in less than one year since ACTIF2022, we have every reason to look forward to a further deepening of commercial relationships between Africa and the Caribbean when we meet in Georgetown, Guyana.

“We are exceedingly grateful to the government of Guyana for agreeing to host this important bridge-building forum,” he added.

The forum was first held in Barbados last September to promote airlinks, tourism, technology transfer, financial stability, food security, industrialization and cultural ties between Africa and the Caribbean. Over 1,267 delegates from 108 countries which include 50 African countries, 13 Caribbean countries, and regions as far away as Oceania participated.

There has been growing commercial cooperation between Africa and Caricom supported by Afreximbank. Eleven Caricom member countries are now participating states in the bank and the bank’s board recently approved a limit of three billion US dollars for Caribbean economies to enhance trade and investment opportunities between the two regions.

The bank is launching a branch in Barbados and is providing technical assistance towards the establishment of the Caricom Export-Import Bank, and the deployment of the Pan African Payment and Settlement System in the Caribbean.