Caribbean Community (Caricom) leaders met with United States Vice President Mike Pence on the margins of the final day of the Summit of the Americas in Lima, Peru.
Second Vice President and Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge told the Department of Public Information (DPI), following the meeting, that Caribbean leaders “took advantage” of the opportunity to dialogue with Vice President Pence.
“It was a good opportunity to at least exchange ideas at practically the highest level in the United States,” Minister Greenidge said. Greenidge noted Vice President Pence confirmed that the US remained interested in the Caribbean and Latin America.
During the meeting, the Caricom Heads of State and delegations also had discussions with the Vice President’s team, including the new Head of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
“It was a wide-ranging discussion. The Caribbean raised many of the problems they would have raised before, but also looked at an ongoing framework of cooperation with the US and setting a scene for the types of discussions that may arise,” Minister Greenidge explained.
The discussions, in relation to Guyanese concerns, were along the lines of migration and crime and security. “We share, of course, some of the other things the Caribbean would normally have,” Minister Greenidge added.
These include resilience, the problem of de-risking and the disappearance of correspondent banking. The regional leaders also raised concerns over the rigid formulation and enforcement of rules without reference to the so-called collateral damage that they may pose, especially on small States, Minister Greenidge noted.
The Caribbean Region is considered the “third border” for the United States. The US State Department notes that the US’s Caribbean 2020 multi-year strategy seeks to engage the Caribbean Region “in the areas of security, diplomacy, prosperity, energy, education, and health”. This will be coordinated by the State Department and USAID.
Following the meeting with Vice President Pence, the Caricom leaders were also engaged by several members of the US Congress.
The Caricom Heads of State and delegations were participating in the eight Summit of the Americas, which was hosted by the Organisation of the American States under the theme “Democratic Governance against Corruption”.
World leaders from the Caribbean, Latin America, the US and Canada adopted the Lima Commitment in line with the theme and have pledged to do more to eradicate corruption in public office.
