KINGSTON Jamaica  — Caribbean Community (CARICOM) foreign ministers including Jamaica’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade AJ Nicholson will meet with their Japanese counterpart on Friday for talks aimed at strengthening the relations between the 15-member regional grouping and Japan.

According to a joint statement issued on Monday, the November 15 meeting is a follow-up to the first Japan-CARICOM Summit held in July “and are expected t enhance collaboration on various gobal agenda, including environment issues and climate change”.

The statement said that CARICOM countries “frequently taking a common position in the international arena, hold a certain presence in the international community.

“It is expected that they will deepen their understanding and support towards Japan’s position on various global issues through this conference”.

The statement said that it is expected that the relationship between Japan and the regional community bloc “will be further strengthened through this conference on the occasion of Japan-CARICOM Friendship Year 2014”.

The Jamaican delegation includes Ambassador of Jamaica to Japan H E Ricardo Allicock and Director for Caribbean and the Americas in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Angella Comfort.