On 3 May, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Melnyk held an online meeting with Ambassador Donna Forde, Assistant Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Foreign and Community Relations.

The interlocutors discussed the prospects for the development of Ukraine's cooperation with the Caribbean Community, which is an influential regional organization covering 20 countries of Central and South America and the Caribbean.

The Deputy Foreign Minister, on behalf of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked CARICOM Member States for the opportunity to address the 44th Regular Meeting of CARICOM Heads of Government on 17 February.

Andrii Melnyk expressed gratitude to CARICOM Member States for their consistent support for Ukraine and condemnation of Russian aggression both within the Organization and in the international arena, particularly at the UN. He also spoke at length about the current situation in Ukraine in the context of countering a full-scale military invasion.

In particular, the Deputy Minister highlighted the recent CARICOM Heads of Government Statement of 2 May, which expressed concern about the serious consequences of Russia's continued aggression against Ukraine in the areas of energy, nuclear safety, the environment and global food security.

Andrii Melnyk informed Ambassador Forde about the key areas of the Peace Formula initiated by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and called for all possible assistance in promoting the initiative among the member states of the organization.

Donna Forde noted the willingness to intensify cooperation between CARICOM and Ukraine and expressed her hope for a speedy end to the war and the establishment of peace in our country.

The interlocutors agreed to continue to work closely together to expand contacts between Ukraine and CARICOM Member States in areas of mutual interest, particularly in the trade, economic and investment fields.

Background:

CARICOM was established in 1973. CARICOM has 15 full members and 5 associate members. CARICOM has its headquarters in Georgetown, Guyana. Its three main areas of activity are economic cooperation through the Caribbean Common Market, coordination of foreign policy and cooperation in areas such as agriculture, industry, transport and telecommunications. The combined GDP of CARICOM member states is $112 billion.