At the invitation of the Government of Canada, Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) will meet with their Canadian counterpart, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, during the Inaugural Meeting of the CARICOM-Canada Foreign Ministers’ Group which will be held virtually, on 13 January 2021.
Under the co-chairmanship of His Excellency Dr Claude Joseph, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship of the Republic of Haiti and Chairman of the Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR) and, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, the meeting will pay attention to the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic; economic recovery and inclusive growth; and climate resilience and sustainability.
This meeting signals a new momentum in the existing bonds of friendship, as Canada has shown its willingness to re-engage with the Region and strengthened its cooperation with CARICOM. This is illustrated by the number of ministerial and high-level engagements that have taken place over the past recent years. In the context of this reset, the establishment of the CARICOM-Canada Foreign Ministers’ Group will provide the parties with an institutionalized framework to discuss on a regular basis their shared priorities at the ministerial level.