RIYADH: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) nations have agreed to strengthen their partnerships and opening new avenues of cooperation, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Thursday. According to the SPA, a joint statement issued at the conclusion of the inaugural Saudi–CARICOM Summit in Riyadh.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) issued a joint Statement as follows: “At the kind invitation of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, King of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), the leadership of Saudi Arabia and the Leaders of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) met in Riyadh, on 16 Saturday for the inaugural Saudi Arabia-CARICOM Summit. The Summit was co-chaired by Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Roosevelt Skerrit, Prime Minister of Dominica, with the participation of Heads of State and Government of CARICOM and the CARICOM Secretary-General.”
— SPAENG (@Spa_Eng) November 16, 2023
According to the SPA, the leaders reaffirmed their mutual interests and friendly ties and exchanged views on matters of common interest and discussed means to further expand and advance their partnership to take advantage of the growth opportunities that can be utilized through cooperation between their two dynamic regions based on a shared vision and the values embodied in the UN Charter.
The leaders expressed their resolve to join efforts to promote security, peace, stability and prosperity, via mutual respect and cooperation between nations and regions, to achieve sustainable development and, development and maintain the rules-based international order based on adherence to global law.
The leaders reiterated to undertake consultations and also explore cooperation on specific fields of common interest between the two sides, namely education, health, connectivity, logistics, maritime cooperation, energy security, food security, tourism economic and other possible sectors of cooperation, where appropriate, including the Sustainable Development Goals.
According to the joint statement, the leaders agreed to strengthen relations between the two sides, at the multilateral and bilateral levels, and in international fora by pursuing opportunities for sustainable development, security, peace, stability, tourism infrastructure development, creating business opportunities in the Global Digital Services field and boosting investment and trade flows by creating mutually beneficial opportunities for joint investments, with special focus on sustainable infrastructure, trade, renewables, logistics, connectivity and tourism.
SAUDI-CARICOM Summit Issues Joint Statement.https://t.co/fFBf1DbWUF#SPAGOV pic.twitter.com/r0LLO1j8iw
— SPAENG (@Spa_Eng) November 16, 2023
The SPA reported that the summit decided to promote trade and investment ties between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and CARICOM, by enhancing public-private partnership and business-to-business ties between both regions, using available and new physical and online platforms, exhibitions, trade missions, conferences, seminars, and dialogue.
The leaders agreed to support the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s bid to host Expo 2030 in Riyadh, highlighting the significance of organizing regional and global exhibitions to reenergize economic and cultural exchanges between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and CARICOM, mindful that individual CARICOM Member nations have promised their support for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s candidature to host Expo 2030.
SAUDI-CARICOM Summit Issues Joint Statement: SPA
They summit also agreed to promote the cultural and creative industries of CARICOM and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through cultural festivals, film festivals, art exhibitions, workshops, and book fairs. The leaders decided to promote cooperation in the sectors of tourism, including cruise, heritage, sustainable and eco-tourism, medical and wellness, by undertaking benchmarking activities, joint tourism investments, and strengthening capacity-building. According to the SPA, the summit also stressed on the significance and urgency of promoting joint action towards mitigating climate change.
The leaders reaffirmed the importance of working jointly to confront the international challenges related to climate change. The leaders of CARICOM welcomed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Middle East Green Initiative (MGI), and its announcement to set up and host a dedicated MGI Secretariat and allocate US $2.5 billion to support MGI projects and governance, the SPA reported.
The summit highlighted the significant role that CARICOM and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia can play in hosting major sporting events, the SPA added. According to the SPA, the Summit endorsed the candidacy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup and welcomed that the Caribbean will host the ICC T20 World Cup in 2024 and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 FIFA World Cup. The summit recognized the important initiatives arrived at by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and CARICOM in their respective regions, and also decided to hold the 2nd Saudi Arabia-CARICOM Summit in 2026.
The SPA further reported that CARICOM leaders expressed their appreciation to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, King of Saudi Arabia, and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to the Government and People of Saudi Arabia for their hospitality.
