Strengthening ties with the Caribbean region
Richard Marles
posted Wednesday, 25 January 2012
Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs, Richard Marles, will this week visit the Caribbean region, building on recent engagement at the Australia-CARICOM (Caribbean Community) Foreign Ministers Meeting and the Commonwealth and Developing Small States Meeting held in the margins of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in October last year.
Mr Marles will meet senior members from the governments of Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
He will also meet the Secretary-General of CARICOM, HE Irwin LaRocque, and the Director General of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, Dr Len Ishmael.
Australia’s warm relations with the Caribbean are largely based on shared historical, sporting, social and political ties, and membership of the Commonwealth.
“Australia also has a lot of experience with small island developing states given our work in the Pacific,” Mr Marles said.
“We look forward to sharing our ideas and experiences with small island states in the Caribbean, especially in areas where they are particularly vulnerable, such as climate change.”
“Australia is committed to building our relationship with the Caribbean,” said Mr Marles.