The Prime Minister of St. Vincent (SVG), Ralph Gonsalves, has expressed that endeavors are on to facilitate a meeting between the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and the United States.
On Wednesday, the 27th, Gonsalves, in his role as the pro tempore president of CELAC, disclosed that he had engaged in a meeting with a high-ranking US diplomat at the US embassy while in New York, to assess the feasibility of convening a conference between the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and the United States of America.
“This would be another first because CELAC has never formally met the US government. There’s been a tendency for hemispheric matters or discussions to take place within the Council of the OAS”.
“That will continue, but there are a number of matters that we need to deal with with the whole of CELAC outside of the context of the OAS, for instance, migration and others”.
According to Gonsalves, there were some nations who either chose not to participate or were not sent invitations at the highest level to attend the Summit of the Americas held last year. Consequently, he emphasizes the significant necessity of convening such a meeting.
During the CELAC summit held in January, the assembly emphasized its support of the ongoing discussions between the Venezuelan government and its opposition. Additionally, the conference called for the United States to remove its embargo on Cuba.
It is anticipated that in February 2024, the temporary president of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) will be handed over from St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) to the republic of Honduras, located in Central America.
In July, the Central American nation, which has a population of 9.7 million, was chosen to assume the pro tempore presidency of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) in 2024. This decision was made during the summit between the European Union (EU) and CELAC, which took place in Brussels.
According to Gonsalves, a total of thirty-three (33) heads of state and government, accompanied by their respective delegations, are expected to convene in St. Vincent and the Grenadines for the official handover of the presidency.