The Government of Barbados is committed to solidifying its economic relationship with the United States of America (USA) by exploring new avenues, including infrastructural development and cost and development finance.
In a recent courtesy call with Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. of the U.S. Embassy to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean, and the OECS, Karin Sullivan, Senior Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Christopher Sinckler, asserted that it is necessary for this island to redeem links with the USA as its largest trading partner.
Senator Sinckler maintained that the economies of the United States and Barbados have been connected for hundreds of years and the partnership should now be strengthened and not fractured. He stated that there is room for cooperation in fields such as medicine, and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
The Foreign Affairs Minister also identified the need to have the USA collaborate on financial investment in building resilience in our infrastructural solutions, as the country focuses on building to withstand the impact of hurricanes and other natural disasters. According to him, strategies must be developed where “impact is less and rebuilding is faster”.
Mrs. Sullivan disclosed that there is still an opportunity for the USA to make a positive impact in the region even though the country’s foreign policy has evolved.
She shared that her country is open to frequent positive engagement. “It is time to focus on how to strengthen relations within the hemisphere and figure out how to work together…. Washington is open to have discussion about private sector/US partnerships….”
Some of the areas for further discussion between the officials are youth exchange programmes; provision of technical assistance in the telecommunications sector; and strengthening data collection systems.
Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Donna Forde; Senior Foreign Service Officer and Head of the Americas-Hemispheric Unit, Mandisa Downes; Foreign Service Officer, Sherry-Lisa Waldron; and Political and Economic Officer with the United States Embassy, Derek Hoffmann, attended the courtesy call.
Barbados and the USA established formal diplomatic relations on November 30, 1966.
