Barbados and other Caribbean Community (CARICOM) states are reaffirming their commitment to deepen ties with Africa.
During a flag-raising ceremony held on Saturday at Government Headquarters as part of the third annual AfricaCARICOM Day, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Kerrie Symmonds reiterated the government’s goal of improving economic and social opportunities for both parties.
“The administration of which I am a part made it abundantly clear from the time we assumed office in 2018 that we were going to place at the very centrepiece of the foreign policy of Barbados a deeper relationship with the African continent,” he said.
“We took that posture largely because we understood that it was time, in the language of our Prime Minister, to close our Atlantic destiny. We also took that posture in the very firm and certain and unequivocal knowledge that our relationship with Africa is one that is rooted in blood and it is anchored by history. We feel that we have, with a sense of diligence and a sense of purpose, to forge stronger relationships with Africa to build economic social and cultural linkages in a constant effort of reaffirming our inestimable bonds of consanguinity with the continent that was the mother to the vast majority of our citizens and people.”
Symmonds announced that this year’s independence celebrations will be a greater symbolic occasion as scores of Ghanians will be taking part in the activities.
He said that two chartered flights — one of September 10 and the other on November 19 — will bring many Ghanian tourists to experience authentic Barbdian culture.
“We have made every effort to begin the process of removing the middleman … there would be structured character flights direct from Accra, Ghana to Barbados to ensure that in the month that we celebrate our independence we will be able to have Ghanian tourists and visitors to share in our independence festivities and immersing themselves in authentic Barbadian tourist experience,” he said.
Barbados and other Caribbean Community (CARICOM) states are reaffirming their commitment to deepen ties with Africa. Photo by Sheria Brathwaite
As it relates to health care, Symmonds said that Barbados benefitted from a partnership with Ghana and was able to source vaccines on the African Medical Services procurement platform and establish a programme that saw 200 Ghanaian registered nurses working here during the heightened phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. He added that a small delegation was currently recruiting more nurses in Ghana in specialist fields such as paediatrics, medicinal surgical nursing care and psychiatric nursing care.
On the matter of trade, he said that only three per cent of the region’s trade was with Africa and CARICOM heads of government intended to change that.
He said CARICOM wanted to partner with the African Union as a trading block and explore the economic prospects that could benefit both parties. He said a MOU was being drafted to officially establish a free trade arrangement between the two.
During her remarks, CARICOM Secretary General Dr Carla Barnett said it was important for CARICOM and Africa to speak with one voice on the issue of reparatory justice.
She said: “Reinforcing CARICOM’s call to European colonisers for reparatory justice for centuries of crimes against humanity committed in our region, both CARICOM and Africa have an indisputable and significant claim to reparations for the egregious transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans, centuries of chattel slavery and genocide of Indigenous peoples of the region. Both regions are advocating for tangible actions to address the injustices of colonialism and chattel slavery. On this, it is important that we speak with one voice [because] the shared commitment to reparatory justice is more than a moral imperative.”
Regional chief operating officer of Afreximbank’s Caribbean office, Okechukwu Ihejirika said during his speech that his organisation was ready to take its relationship with the region to the next level (SZB)
