As part of Government’s ongoing efforts to secure additional COVID-19 vaccines, Senator the Honourable Dr. Amery Browne, Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, held discussions with His Excellency Marcelo Gabriel Suárez Salvia, Ambassador of the Argentine Republic to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, in a virtual meeting on 1st June, 2021.
Minister Browne acknowledged that Argentina has partnered with Mexico on a vaccine initiative for Latin America, and discussed the challenges faced by Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) as small countries which have been largely excluded from purchasing COVID-19 vaccines from manufacturers, due to the small size of their markets. The Minister advocated for Trinidad and Tobago and CARICOM to be included in the roll-out of the Latina American vaccine initiative. In addition to the situation in Trinidad and Tobago, Minister Browne placed specific emphasis on the need for urgent support on behalf of Suriname and Guyana. Minister Browne recognised the challenges faced by Argentina, which have been exacerbated by COVID-19, and applauded the Argentine Government’s ongoing efforts to find solutions to combat the pandemic.
Ambassador Suárez acknowledged that the COVID-19 situation in Trinidad and Tobago and other countries in the region at this time was challenging, and reiterated Argentina’s stance that vaccines must be a public health good for all of humanity. He committed to support Trinidad and Tobago’s efforts to obtain additional vaccines, and stated that he would advocate with his capital for sharing vaccines with Trinidad and Tobago and the wider Caribbean region as soon as such becomes possible.
Ambassador Suárez stated that the experience of his country with multiple waves of the virus has made him very aware of how the pandemic can ravish a population, and stated his endorsement of the measures that have been deployed by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago in the nation's response to COVID-19.
