Happy 52nd Barbados!

Congratulatory Message from CARICOM Secretary-General Ambassador Irwin LaRocque to Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados on the occasion of the country's 52nd Independence Anniversary, 30 November 2018.

Honourable Prime Minister:

On behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), I extend warmest congratulations to the Government and People of Barbados on the occasion of the Fifty-Second Anniversary of Independence which is being celebrated under the theme, “Building Together - One Barbados”.

The successes of Barbados in various fields, as an independent nation, have helped to define the possibilities of what a small nation state can achieve.  Those achievements should be a guiding light for the country as it confronts the challenges which currently beset it.

Prime Minister, as lead Head of Government in the CARICOM Quasi-Cabinet for matters relating to the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), you have no doubt recognised the platform that this regional initiative provides for Barbados, and indeed the entire Community, to further growth and development.  I am confident that under your guidance the implementation of the CSME will be significantly advanced.  I reaffirm my own commitment and that of the staff of the CARICOM Secretariat to work assiduously alongside you and your Government in that regard.

As the people of Barbados look back with much pride on the past 52 years and look forward with hope to build on their many accomplishments for the future, I wish you and the people of Barbados, the best for the continued development and well-being of your country.