The 23rd ALBA-TCP summit, hosted by Venezuela on April 24, was attended by several CARICOM leaders, including Saint Lucian Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre, who reaffirmed their governments’ full commitment to the Latin American and Caribbean political and trade alliance.
ALBA-TCP – like the wider Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) – brings together English and Spanish-speaking member-states from the Caribbean’s island-region and the South American mainland.
Saint Lucia’s Prime Minister reaffirmed his country’s commitment as a full member of the Alliance, saying his nation and people are “friends of peace” who “condemn interference, fight against poverty and climate change”, which is why Saint Lucia joined the ALBA-TCP.
During the summit, Prime Minister Pierre rejected the sanctions against Cuba and Venezuela as “unfair and unnecessary” and called for them be “eliminated in all countries.”
Regarding the crisis in Haiti, the Saint Lucia prime minister also extended a call for the cessation of hostilities there, where, he insists citizens also “have the right to exist, to live.”
Likewise, Prime Minister Pierre also advocated reinforcing food security among member nations, as well as air interconnection at the regional level, considering both aspects “of high importance” for the island-states.
He also reiterated Saint Lucia’s support for the ALBA-TCP and said the organization “can count on the participation of Saint Lucia in all actions for regional survival and advancement.”
Prime Minister Pierre stressed the need to advance negotiations with the Venezuelan airline ‘Conviasa’, to establish regular routes between the main destinations.
He said it could also promote the tourism industry together with Barbados, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Bolivia and Venezuela.
The Prime Minister also wished success to the Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro, in the upcoming elections.
During the summit, the ALBA-TCP leaders discussed ‘The 2030 Strategic Agenda’, which guides the path to follow in the search for sustainable development of the member countries in the coming years, especially in key areas, from a social, economic, political and cultural point of view.