Caribbean: Guyana President Ali, Jamaican PM Holness to pay official visit to Trinidad and Tobago

Caribbean: Two leaders of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) – President of Guyana, Dr Irfaan Ali and Prime Minister of Jamaica Andrew Holness, will pay an official visit to Trinidad and Tobago in the month of August. The announcement was made by the Prime Minister of the hosting country Dr Keith Rowley.

During a news conference, PM Rowley announced that the President of Guyana would come to Trinidad on August 18, 2022 (Thursday), and the Jamaican Prime Minister will come to the country on August 31 (Wednesday). Holness’ visit will coincide with his participation in the country’s 60th anniversary of political independence from Britain.

PM Rowley informed that President Ali, who had led the responsibility for Agriculture within the Quasi Cabinet of CARICOM, will visit Trinidad and Tobago to participate in the CARICOM Agri-Investment Forum. The forum will commence on August 19.

“It will involve some meetings at venues in Port of Spain and major agricultural exhibitions at the Queen’s Park Savannah, and it will involve Trinidad and Tobago and the rest of the region on display, indicating what we are doing, what we intend to do, and the meetings hopefully will alert our investors of the possibilities, all in this major CARICOM initiative to bring about increased production in CARICOM,” Rowley informed the general public via media. He also highlighted that the Caribbean region has been intending to boost regional food security.

Furthermore, he added that Prime Minister of Jamaica Andrew Holness has “finally accepted our invitation” to visit Port of Spain that had been extended years ago when he first became prime minister in 2015 and had to travel to Kingston to “smooth some feathers with respect to a boycott that was brewing against Trinidad and Tobago manufactured products”.

“The invitation was extended then, and Prime Minister Holness has now accepted that he will come and visit us as our guest during our independence celebrations,” Rowley said.