SENATOR Kamina Johnson Smith, minister of foreign affairs and foreign trade, will head Jamaica’s delegation to the 4th Caricom-India Ministerial Meeting in Georgetown, Guyana, today.

In underscoring the importance of maintaining a close and vibrant working relationship with India, Johnson Smith noted that country’s position as “a leader among developing countries, a strong development partner and a major proponent of South-South cooperation”.

“India currently chairs the Group of 20 (G20) in the United Nations (UN) and they have signalled that strengthening relations with Caricom is a major aspect of its foreign policy. This meeting, therefore, provides an opportunity for Jamaica and Caricom to further elevate issues of concern to the region and to other small island developing states (SIDS) within the G20 and to make sure that our perspectives are truly appreciated,” said Johnson Smith.

The ministerial meeting, according to the foreign ministry, will deliberate on the critical development areas of trade and economy; agriculture and food security; health; energy; e-governance and infrastructure in the information and communication technology landscape; climate change; disaster mitigation, as well as regional and international security.

It is also anticipated that Minister Johnson Smith will have bilateral talks with Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, India’s minister of external affairs.