Foreign Minister Brantley attends X Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of CELAC in the Dominican Republic

Basseterre, St. Kitts April 1, 2016- St. Kitts and Nevis is amongst 30 countries which are currently being represented at the X Meeting of Foreign Affairs of the Community of Caribbean and Latin American States (CELAC, for its abbreviation in Spanish), underway in the capital city of Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic. Minister of Foreign Affairs and Aviation, the Honourable Mark Brantley is attending the one day, April 1 meeting. He is accompanied by Foreign Service Officer, Ms. Sonia Boddie, who participated in the 30 March-31 March, XVII Meeting of National Coordinators of CELAC in Santo Domingo, in preparation for the X Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs.

The one day meeting has a packed agenda and it is geared towards finalizing the program of activities for CELAC for the period 2016-2017. Officials will also engage in discussions about the identity of the Community, the progress that the Community has made over the last five years and identify ways in which the Community can function more effectively and efficiently, for the benefit of all Member States. Ministers will also analyze progress reports on the extra regional relations of CELAC.

The X Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affair of CELAC commenced this morning with an Opening Ceremony, where official Welcome Remarks were delivered by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Dominican Republic, His Excellency Andres Navarro Garcia.

Foreign Minister Brantley has highlighted the importance of his participation at this meeting noting, “We live in a word where we face similar developmental challenges and organizations such as these ensure that our combined voice sounds loudly to effect change for the benefit of our people. St. Kitts and Nevis will continue to engage at all levels and lend our vision to the shaping of regional and international dialogue”.

The CELAC was created with the aim of uniting all the Latin American and Caribbean States, in order to strengthen the political, social and cultural integration of the region, improve its quality of life, stimulate its economic growth, and advance the wellbeing of all its peoples. CELAC is comprised of 33 Latin American and Caribbean countries. The CELAC member states are Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Dominica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Co-operative Republic of Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Santa Lucia, Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

 

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