CARICOM Summit | Holness, Cuban President hold bi-lateral talks

Prime Minister Andrew Holness this morning met with Cuban President Miguel Mario Díaz-Canel on the sidelines of the 39th Regular Meeting of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Heads of Government Conference at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, in St James.

Díaz-Canel, who arrived at about 11:25 at the Montego Bay Convention Centre greeted Holness after which both men were quickly ushered into a meeting where bi-lateral talks got underway.

The new Cuban president is on his second official overseas trip since he took the rein of Government in the communist state in April.

When Díaz-Canel visited Venezuela at the end of May, the Cuban president gave strong support to his embattled ally Nicholas Maduro, even as he urged Latin American countries to support a victim of a political and economic war.

The United States imposed fresh sanctions on the South American state in May after the re-election of Maduro in a landslide vote that had been condemned by some countries including the US.

On the question of Venezuela and its relationship with CARICOM, Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines Dr Ralph Gonsalves told The Gleaner this morning that while Venezuela was not on the agenda, the issue will be raised as Heads of Government deliberate on CARICOM related matters.

“To the best of my knowledge those matters are not formally on the agenda but usually things like these do get involved in the discussion,” said Gonsalves.

Earlier today, the Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee on External Trade Negotiations held its 24th meeting.

The Heads of Government got down to business this morning at their first plenary session since the conference started on Wednesday.

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