KINGSTON, Jamaica – Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Kamina Johnson Smith, on Wednesday, chaired the 22nd special meeting of the Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR).

COFCOR is the Caricom organ responsible for foreign policy coordination and promoting the development of cooperation among member states and with extra-regional partners.

The meeting came ahead of the 48th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of Caricom, now underway in Bridgetown, Barbados.

Johnson Smith said the COFCOR meeting facilitated the continuation of discussions that took place during last year’s special meeting.

She explained that the dialogue concerned “geopolitical issues, looking at the region’s trade environment and hemispheric arrangements, and also getting an update on the candidature of [Suriname’s] Foreign Minister, Albert Ramdin, for Secretary General of the OAS (Organisation of American States)”.

Johnson Smith noted that Ramdin’s candidacy is important for the region because, if he is successful, he will be the first Caribbean Secretary-General of the OAS in the organisation’s history.

She said the COFCOR meeting was particularly important as it prepared the discussions for further engagement during the Heads’ meetings, which follow immediately after.

“So, the focus is on our geopolitical circumstances and hemispheric realities, how we deal with them strategically, how we ensure that we secure the prosperity of our member states. But the deeper discussions or the wider discussions on the CSME (Caricom Single Market and Economy), on food security, on our maritime and air transport issues, all of those have already been discussed and are already on the Heads’ agenda,” she further advised.

Johnson Smith will today (February 20) be joined by Prime Minister, Andrew Holness who will participate in key discussions on trade, security and regional cooperation.

The 48th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Caricom Heads of Government concludes on February 21.

– JIS

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