BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, APRIL 29TH 2014 (CUOPM) – The Federation’s Prime Minister, the Right Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas is leading a three-person delegation to the CARICOM-Mexico Summit in the Mexico.
Prime Minister Douglas is accompanied to the Summit by Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Hon. Patrice Nisbett, St. Kitts and Nevis’ Permanent Representative to the OAS, Her Excellency Jacinth Henry-Martin and Foreign Service Officer, Ms. Nyan Farrell.
Minister Nisbett attended the meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs on Monday in preparation for the Third Summit in Merida, Mexico.
Caribbean leaders and their Mexican host will discuss agriculture and disaster risk reduction on Tuesday 29th April.
In 1974, Mexico became the first country to establish a Joint Commission with CARICOM to work on areas of co-operation. Formal technical co-operation arrangements have been in place since 1990 and three phases have already been completed in the areas of Transportation; Language training; Agriculture and Agro-industrial development; Maritime education; Disaster Preparedness and Management; and Agro-meteorology and climatology.
The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) serves as the fund’s manager for the Technical Cooperation Programme and the Mexican subventions for the Programme are deposited to the CDB’s Special Development Fund.
The Programme over the period was characterised by the building of collaborative relations between CARICOM technical institutions and their counterparts in Mexico. Relations have been developed, for example, between the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) and CENAPRED, the Mexican disaster preparedness and management agency, and between the Caribbean Meteorological Institute (CMI) and the INTA, the Mexican Institute for Water technology.
Mexico has indicated its interest in extending its Mesoamerica Project to allow CARICOM Member States to benefit from its Infrastructure Fund. Mexico established the Fund in 2011 to promote investments in the areas of human development, sustainable development, energy, telecommunications, trade facilitation, natural disaster prevention and transportation.