Africa-CARICOM Summit: PM Gonsalves greets both regions for deepening historic cultural ties

The Africa and CARICOM made history as the first Africa-Caricom Summit was held virtually on Tuesday. This historic Summit was hosted by Kenya and chaired by Uhuru Kenyatta, President of Kenya. He covered many essential points that would be important towards developing both communities that comprise health, climate change, debt sustainability, economic growth, and technology.

This first historic Africa-CARICOM Summit was held on Tuesday, 7 September 2021, from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. ECT. The full three-hour Summit, which features Statements from CARICOM and African Leaders, was Livestreamed.

President Uhuru Kenyatta, in his opening statement, said, “we are united by our heritage as people of African descent and that the meeting was to strengthen cultural ties and to build social, economic, and political linkages that would promote shared prosperity and social progress for us all.”

On this, Prime Minister of St Vincent and Grenadines Ralph Gonsalves said that the history of their peoples ties their both communities in a deepening bond. Beyond the shared historical experiences, the global and regional political economy realities. Their respective peoples in Africa, the Caribbean, and the African Diaspora work closely with each other in their own strategic interests.

PM Ralph Gonsalves, “Our respective countries’ and regions’ location in the global political economy has catapulted us to a historical juncture of significance in human affairs globally. In closing, let me say that I have been advised that I am the only Head of Government outside of Africa who ever attended an African university. I am proud to have studied and researched at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda, in pursuance of my doctoral degree.”

PM Gonsalves added that he remembers friendship with African leaders, past and present, which means a lot to him. Whenever he went to Africa, he felt very happy by its beauty, its majesty, its achievements, and its immense potential, despite all its challenges and pain. Above all, the people of Africa would be a collective tribute to humanity and a central pillar for humanity’s future.

Together, the people of African and Caribbean civilizations have been a great support for humanity’s development. Of all time, only the future could be compromised and stained, and they never commit to do so. Stated PM Gonsalves.