PORT OF SPAIN: 14TH OCTOBER, 2023
Senator the Honourable Dr. Amery Browne, Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs met with Ms. Helena König, Deputy Secretary-General for Economic and Global Affairs and a team of officials from the European External Action Service on 11th October, 2023 at the residence of His Excellency Peter Cavendish, Ambassador of the European Delegation to Trinidad and Tobago.
The purpose of the meeting was to discuss bilateral relations between Trinidad and Tobago and the European Union and the future of the partnership. The visit was the first undertaken by Ms. König to Trinidad and Tobago and formed part of an intensification of activities in the region following the 3rd EU-CELAC Summit held in Brussels, Belgium, in July 2023. The visit to Trinidad and Tobago also serves as an indication of the growing focus by the European Union on the Caribbean.
The interaction between the Minister and Ms. König provided an opportunity for open discussion on issues that included the upcoming Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Conference in 2024; climate change and associated mitigation and adaptation financing; and opportunities for training and capacity development in key sectors, connected to trade and diversification of the local economy.
The Minister reaffirmed Trinidad and Tobago’s commitment to the relationship with Europe, which spans over forty-eight years, and is anchored by the Cotonou Partnership Agreement, which was signed in 2000 by the 79 African, Caribbean and Pacific (OACP) states, the European Union Member States and the European Community.
