Vice President Kamala Harris met virtually today with 15 leaders representing Caribbean nations and underscored the importance the Biden-Harris Administration places on our partnerships throughout the Caribbean. The Vice President made clear the United States is committed to work with our Caribbean neighbors to advance cooperation on economic recovery, the climate crisis, and security, among other areas of mutual concern.
As part of the Administration's commitment to continued engagement within the Caribbean, the Vice President proposed an annual meeting of this group to continue high-level discussions.
The Vice President discussed economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic and reaffirmed that equitable economic growth in the Caribbean is a priority. As the United States is the region's largest economic partner, the Vice President and the leaders discussed ways to further facilitate trade and attract U.S. investment.
On security, the Vice President informed the leaders that the United States will expand our assistance to the Caribbean through the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI). The Vice President discussed new funding to combat firearms trafficking, enhance maritime security, and support training for police and others.
The Vice President and the leaders discussed cooperation to address the climate crisis and the transition to clean energy. They discussed ways to strengthen energy security, increase the deployment of clean energy, and enhance resilience and adaptive capacity to withstand the impacts of climate change and extreme weather events. The Vice President welcomed the input from the leaders on these areas, and they agreed our governments will stay in close touch, including at the upcoming Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles.
The Leaders that participated:
- Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda
- Prime Minister Phillip Davis of The Bahamas
- Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados
- Prime Minister Juan Briceņo of Belize
- Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit of Dominica
- President Luis Abinader of the Dominican Republic
- Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell of Grenada
- President Dr. Irfaan Ali of Guyana
- Prime Minister Ariel Henry of Haiti
- Prime Minister Andrew Holness of Jamaica
- Prime Minister Phillip Pierre of Saint Lucia
- Prime Minister Dr. Timothy Harris of Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Prime Minister Chan Santokhi of Suriname
- Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley of Trinidad and Tobago
- Secretary General of CARICOM Dr. Carla Barnett