Over the weekend, Prime Minister of Barbados – Mia Amor Mottley, was joined by the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Dr Keith Rowley, the President of Guyana, Irfaan Ali, and Minister of Finance of St. Vincent and The Grenadines, Camillo Gonsalves, for a significant bi-partisan meeting with a Congressional Delegation led by United States House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

Discussions spanned several critical areas of mutual interest, including:

• Regional Security: Reinforcing efforts to maintain the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace.

• The Climate Crisis: Addressing the disproportionate impacts on Small Island Developing States and advocating for urgent global action.

• Access to Concessional Funding: Calling for financing models based on vulnerability rather than GDP per capita to better reflect the unique challenges faced by the region.

• Economic Transformation: Proposing a new development and investment agenda to drive sustainable growth.

• Market Access and Near-Shoring: Exploring pathways to enhance trade opportunities and strengthen economic partnerships.

Meanwhile, Minority Leader Jeffries reaffirmed a commitment to supporting the Caribbean’s development agenda, emphasising the importance of deepening U.S.-Caribbean relations in addressing pressing global issues.

The Government of Barbados remains unwavering in its efforts to advance policies and partnerships that foster regional prosperity and elevate Barbados and the Caribbean’s voice on the international stage.