(Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) - On Wednesday, May 7, CARICOM Secretary General Dr Carla Barnett and the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines, His Excellency Enrique A. Manalo, met ahead of the Twenty-Eighth Meeting of the Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR) in Saint Kitts and Nevis.

The discussion highlighted a mutual interest in enhancing cooperation and international engagement. Key topics included the potential accreditation of a Philippine ambassador to CARICOM and fostering stronger partnerships through South-South cooperation and with ASEAN countries like the Philippines.

The collaborative approach aims to tackle shared challenges faced by CARICOM and ASEAN countries, many of which are small island developing states. These challenges include severe climate change impacts, the sargassum influx affecting tourism, inter-island transport difficulties, and the critical governance and humanitarian situation in Haiti.

Both parties emphasised the importance of continued dialogue and expressed optimism for future engagements.