Remarks by the Chair of Special COFCOR Meeting

"Our assembly today, on the eve of the Forty-Sixth Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government, underscores the dynamic nature of our environment and the vital need for ongoing dialogue and sustained interaction." - Chair of COFCOR,Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Jamaica

Chair of the Council for Foreign and Community Relations, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Jamaica, made opening remarks at the Nineteenth Special Meeting of the COFCOR on Sunday, 25 February at the CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown, Guyana.

The meeting preceded the opening ceremony of the Forty-Sixth Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM at the National Cultural Centre, also on Sunday.

Please read the Minister's remarks below:

Colleague Foreign Ministers

Other Heads of Delegation

Dr. Carla Barnett, Secretary-General of CARICOM

Deputy Secretary-General

Assistant Secretary-General, Foreign and Community Relations

Senior Officials of Member States

Members of Staff of the CARICOM Secretariat

Ladies and Gentlemen

I am pleased to welcome you to the Nineteenth Special Meeting of the Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR). I wish at the outset to extend special appreciation to the People and Government of Guyana for their warm hospitality since our arrival in Georgetown. Let me also thank the Secretary-General and her team for the excellent arrangements put in place for our gathering this morning.

Colleagues, in recent times our Council has been required to meet with increased frequency and with an extended and varied agenda. In addition to our ordinary meeting in May and our informal consultations in September, on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly, we have had several special meetings of the COFCOR to address pressing Community and extra-regional issues.

Our assembly today, on the eve of the Forty-Sixth Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government, underscores the dynamic nature of our environment and the vital need for ongoing dialogue and sustained interaction.

One of the great successes of the Community and particularly of the COFCOR is the ability to effectively present the voice of the Community in the international arena. Foreign policy coordination is of critical importance in positioning and guiding the Community through these uncertain times. I am confident that even with the limited time today, we can leverage this opportunity to strengthen our coordination and collaborative efforts.

During today's Meeting, we will have the opportunity to engage with two of our longstanding development partners in our Hemisphere - the United States of America and Canada. These exchanges will serve to further solidify our relationships and the new avenues identified for strategic dialogue and cooperation.

Additionally, we will have the privilege of interfacing with distinguished representatives from Ghana and Lesotho, with an emphasis on their candidatures for the post of Secretary-General of the Commonwealth. This interaction will allow us to gain valuable insights into their vision and proposed direction for the Commonwealth, as we make the crucial decision on its future leadership.

Distinguished colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen, with these brief remarks, I wish for us a successful meeting, as we advance our shared strategic goals for the benefit of the Caribbean Community.

I thank you.

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