Argentina’s President Alberto Fernández has ended a one-day working visit to Barbados after holding discussions with Prime Minister Mia Mottley and leaders of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).
Mottley said the visit underscored the importance of deepening the bilateral
relations between the two countries, while Fernández, who arrived here on Monday following visits to Russia and China, thanked Barbados and the Caribbean for the support given to his country as it negotiates an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The two leaders spoke about the need to advance efforts to realign the international financial system to alleviate the problems of foreign debt in low- and middle-income countries as well as strengthen the strategic relationship between Latin America and the Caribbean.
Their talks at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre also addressed the need for further cooperation to deal with the impact of climate change, particularly as it affects small island developing states (SIDS), as well as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Argentina recently donated 42,000 vaccines to several Caribbean countries.
Mottley and Fernández also discussed the development of various cooperation projects that have already been implemented here in agriculture, education, the environment, phytosanitary, Spanish language teaching, public health, and sports.
Fernández, who is also the chairman of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), spoke about the establishment of the CELAC Climate Adaptation and Comprehensive Disaster Response Fund, highlighting the ongoing collaboration between the White Helmets and the Barbados-based Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA).
The Argentina president, whose delegation included his Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero and Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development Juan Cabandié, thanked Barbados for its support in the Malvinas Question – the sovereignty dispute between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the Malvinas, South Georgias and South Sandwich Islands and the surrounding maritime areas – regarded as the oldest and most important foreign policy issue in Argentina.
Mottley was accompanied to Tuesday’s meeting by a delegation that included Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Dr Jerome Walcott and Minister of the Environment and National Beautification Adrian Forde.
Following their meeting, the two leaders planted trees at the National Botanical Gardens to mark the visit.
Mottley planted a Baobab tree, while Fernandez planted a Jacaranda tree, both of which the Barbadian leader said had significance.
“The Jacaranda from your country that … will be able to prosper here, even though we must adapt to the circumstances – and that is a sign of our own resilience and our commitment to being resilient,” she said.
“The Baobab tree represents really a tree of life and is the example that all of us must take as countries and as human beings in this climate crisis. This tree stores water when water is not available, this tree is responsible for more carbon sequestration, perhaps, than any other that is available; and while not indigenous to us, it has been a part of the settlement of Barbados in terms of our landscape. And, therefore, we choose to be able to express our commitment to life through the planting of this tree,” Prime Minister Mottley added.
anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb
