GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) — The Caribbean Community (Caricom) has welcomed the opportunity to engage with the new Government of Japan early in its tenure.

This sentiment was relayed by the chair of the Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR) and the foreign minister of Dominica, Dr Vince Henderson, during a recent visit to Tokyo.

Henderson was at the time speaking at a welcome reception at the Iikura Guest House ahead of the eighth Japan-Caricom Ministerial Conference held last week.

Hosted by Japan’s new minister of foreign affair, Takeshi Iwaya, the reception was attended by the foreign ministers and other high-level officials from 14 Caricom countries and distinguished guests from Japan and Caricom countries.

Henderson highlighted key milestones in Caricom-Japan relations, including a 2014 heads of government summit, seven ministerial meetings, and 19 technical cooperation engagements.

These efforts have fostered developments in various sectors such as SMEs, trade fairs, agriculture, fisheries, IT, environmental conservation, disaster risk reduction, climate change, energy, culture, and tourism, the COFCOR chair stated.

He also stressed the importance of continuing to support adaptive engagement frameworks, particularly the Japan-Caricom Friendship and Cooperation Fund, as a vital mechanism for addressing regional challenges.

Meanwhile, Iwaya highlighted the strong partnership between Japan and Caricom countries despite their geographical distance.

He expressed optimism for productive discussions at the eighth Japan-Caricom Ministerial-Level Conference and reaffirmed Japan’s commitment to ongoing cooperation with Caricom in the international arena.

Challenges facing Caricom countries will be addressed through Japan’s three-pillar policy, namely:

– cooperation towards sustainable development including overcoming vulnerabilities particular to small island developing states (SIDS);

– deepening and expanding bonds founded on exchanges and friendship, and;

– cooperation in addressing challenges confronting the international community.

The minister underscored the importance of people-to-people connections in fostering friendship and cooperation, noting that Japan hopes to expand these exchanges over the next decade.

Ahead of the Caricom-Japan Ministerial Conference, foreign ministers paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister of Japan Shigeru Ishiba, who affirmed Japan-Caricom partnership and the importance of their cooperation in the international arena.

The eighth Caricom-Japan Ministerial Meeting culminated the Caricom-Japan Friendship Year 2024.

The year marks three decades of friendship between Caricom and Japan, and 60 years of diplomatic relations between Caricom and Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, respectively.