Australia deepens relations with CARICOM

Dec 18, 2010 News

A high level delegation from Australia including that country’s Ambassador to CARICOM, Philip Kentwell, and the Director General of Australian Government Overseas Aid Programme (AusAid) Peter Baxter, yesterday met with a delegation from the Caribbean Community at the Secretariat for a meeting aimed at strengthen relations.

Australia’s Ambassador Philip Kentwell (right) presents CARICOM Secretary General Dr Edwin Carrington with a gift. Witnessing the presentation is Peter Baxter the Director General of AusAid

Outgoing CARICOM Secretary General, Sir Edwin Carrington, yesterday briefed media operatives on what is said to be the first such high level meeting that has been held adding that CARICOM and Australia has been pushing to deepen relations beyond that of belonging to the United Nations and Commonwealth.
Carrington drew reference to the fact that the move to strengthen relations began at the 2009 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) held in Port of Spain, Trinidad where the Australian Foreign Minister, Kevin Rudd, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with CARICOM to formally establish the relationship with the region.
Sir Edwin said that yesterday’s deliberations focused on the issue of politically mutual concerns such as climate change as well as technical cooperation and developmental assistance among others.
Carrington stressed that CARICOM is particularly susceptible to Climate Change, not only physically but also to the region’s economy. He added that the Global Financial Crisis has already had a severe impact on the economies here.
He lamented that the small countries in CARICOM do not necessarily have a voice on the decision makers and they are hoping that through relations with countries like Australia they will be a voice on stages such as the G20 for the concerns of CARICOM.
Carrington said that the region’s voice on the illegal arms trade, which has seen a high level of crime ravaging “our societies” is also a critical issue.
Baxter told media operatives that the change in foreign policy of Australia came with the new government, which was elected in 2007, and with the Kevin Rudd administration. The Australian government announced that it would broaden its overseas developmental assistance spectrum to a more global outreach recognizing its responsibility as a developed country.
He said that his country has wide experience in playing that role in the pacific islands and as such he believes that they can quickly develop practical assistance programmes.
“As a developed country we take seriously our responsibility,” to represent for small developing countries, Baxter reiterated to media operatives.
Ambassador Kentwell stressed that the MOU that was signed in November last year at the CHOGM was a critical first step towards the cooperation Baxter spoke of and said that his (Baxter) presence was a visible sign of the serious commitment that Australia is making to CARICOM.