PM Terrance Drew advocates for deeper Africa-Caribbean Collaboration at Afreximbank Meeting

St Kitts and Nevis: Prime Minister Dr Terrance Drew attended the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) 32nd Annual General Meeting last week on June 25 at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja, Nigeria. He highlighted the growing importance of the bank’s relationship with CARICOM and called for even deeper ties between Africa and the Caribbean nations both economically and culturally.

“We are one people, with shared roots and a shared future,” read a post shared by PM Drew on Facebook. He delivered a keynote address at the meeting underscoring the continuous efforts of Afreximbank in responding to the needs of its people through development, inclusion, and opportunity.

During the opening day of the Afreximbank meeting, PM Drew reflected on the journey across the Atlantic as a “new bridge made not of wood and steel, but of people, partnership and purpose.” He further noted, “There’s much work to do so that one day, air traffic from Africa to the Caribbean will be as busy as other regions.”

 PM Drew shares vision for stronger Africa-Caribbean connectivity 

Notably, PM Drew’s address created a new political vision as he announced plans to lead a mission of regional heads of government to Africa as the upcoming Chairman of CARICOM in 2026. He said that this meeting will be “a declaration of intent to embed the Caribbean into the economic and developmental architecture of Global Africa.”

Furthermore, the Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis also joined industry experts and international heads on a panel discussion on ‘Leveraging a Common Heritage: The Afreximbank Caribbean Initiative,’ later in the evening to share mutual interests and areas of investment and opportunities with the international partners.

African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) 32nd Annual General Meeting

The annual meeting focused on connectivity and cooperation between Africa and the Caribbean region, with key discussions held on air transport, trade, and partnership. This year, the meeting saw a gathering of over 6,000 participants, including government officials, entrepreneurs and cultural ambassadors from across the region.

As per the details shared by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), African aviation continues to support 7.7 million jobs and contributes $63 billion to the country’s GDP, as the Caribbean is heavily dependent on air transport for tourism, trade, and connectivity.