President Cyril Ramaphosa will this afternoon participate virtually in the inaugural Africa-Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Summit.

The summit, which will be virtually attended by Heads of States and Government of the African Union and CARICOM Member States, will explore opportunities to strengthen the linkages between the people of Africa and the Caribbean regions by addressing integration challenges across continents.

The Caribbean Community is an association of 15 states across the Caribbean who are working together to promote economic integration and cooperation and coordinate foreign policy, with a view to equitable development for all member states.

Today’s discussions will focus on thematic areas including the promotion of trade, investment and economic integration, transport integration, the mitigation of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ocean agenda and sustainable blue economy, climate change and leveraging emerging technologies amongst areas.

This historical Summit was proposed during a meeting between His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta, President of the Republic of Kenya, and the CARICOM Heads of Government held in August 2019 in Bridgetown, Barbados. This was in recognition of the common heritage between the two regions and the need for cooperation to leverage opportunities for development and shared prosperity.

President Ramaphosa’s virtual address to the summit will be streamed live on PresidencyZA digital platforms.

Source: Government of South Africa