Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas reaffirmed the commitment of the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis to the ideals of the regional organisation of Latin American and Caribbean States. He did so at the plenary session of the VII Summit of Heads of State and Government of CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States), in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Dr. Douglas expressed his delight in welcoming Brazil back President Lula Da Silva of Brazil to the councils of CELAC, after a brief hiatus. President Lula, as one of the founding fathers of the organisation, has unique perspectives on its role in deepening cooperation and integration among Latin American and Caribbean States.

Dr. Douglas highlighted the importance of strengthening democracy, the rule of law, and cooperation among countries of the Global South, specifically Latin America and the Caribbean, to enable us to achieve our targets outlined in the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Leaders at the Summit also discussed matters related to trade, investment, transportation, human resource development, climate change adaptation and mitigation, and building public health infrastructure in the post-pandemic era. The Government of Mexico outlined a proposal for deepening cooperation in health care with CARICOM member states. Coordination will be undertaken by CARPHA, the regional public health agency, based in Suriname.

Congratulations were extended to the Hon. Dr. Ralph Gonsalves of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, who assumed the presidency of CELAC for the year 2023.  Dr. Gonsalves pledged to build on the work of his predecessors from Argentina and Mexico.

St. Kitts and Nevis used the high-level forum to call for the removal of the economic embargo and other restrictions imposed on Cuba and Venezuela. These measures have adversely impacted the lives of the people of Cuba and Venezuela and have retarded their economic growth and development.

Dr. Douglas expressed his confidence that the discussions at the CELAC Summit will lead to positive outcomes in keeping with the Government’s agenda for improving the lives of the people of St. Kitts and Nevis.