P.M. At Energy Summit; To Lead Talks with Biden

PRIME Minister Dr. Kenny Anthony and Energy Minister Senator Dr. James Fletcher have joined other Caribbean Heads of Government and delegations in the first ever Caribbean Energy Security Summit at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C.

Yesterday, prior to the start of the energy summit, the US Secretary of State, John Kerry, hosted a Climate Change Breakfast Meeting with the Caribbean delegations, at which he was expected to outline the Obama administration’s views on climate change, and discuss negotiations on a new climate change agreement to be signed in Paris, in December of this year.

Dr. Anthony, who has lead responsibility in CARICOM for sustainable development and climate change, was expected to address the meeting on the issues that are most important to Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

Subsequently, Prime Minister Anthony and Minister Fletcher joined delegations from other CARICOM member states for the Caribbean Energy Security Summit with Joseph Biden, Vice President of the United States.

Dr. Fletcher, Saint Lucia’s Energy Minister, was a featured participant in a panel discussion on the subject of “Comprehensive Approaches to Energy Transformation” in the afternoon session of the summit, at which Biden delivered the keynote address.

Also attending that meeting were the President of the World Bank, the President of the Inter-American Development Bank, and senior officials of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Organization of American States (OAS), CARICOM, the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), and senior representatives of the governments of Canada, Colombia, France, Germany, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, the United Kingdom and the European Union.

The Caribbean Energy Security Summit is a key component of the Caribbean Energy Security Initiative that Vice President Joe Biden announced in June 2014. The summit was hosted by the White House and the U.S State Department, in partnership with the Atlantic Council and the Council of the Americas.