Ukraine President to address (CARICOM) leaders
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, will address Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders during their 44th summit, which begins here on Wednesday, according to Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell.
According to Mitchell, the Ukrainian president will address the regional leaders on Friday via video link from the Ukrainian capital.
In a statement released in February of last year, CARICOM “strongly” denounced Russia’s military assaults and invasion of Ukraine and demanded “an immediate and total departure of the military presence and an end to any additional acts that may worsen the already dangerous situation there.
“The hostilities against Ukraine go against the principles of respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, non-interference in the internal affairs of another sovereign state, the prohibition on the threat or use of force, and the peaceful resolution of disputes, which are the fundamental principles of international law,” CARICOM said in a statement. “The Russian Federation’s recognition of the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk represents a violation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine.”
All sides were urged “to quickly embark on intensive diplomatic discussion to immediately de-escalate hostilities and work towards a durable peace,” according to the 15-member regional integration grouping.
At a press conference, Mitchell stated that the three-day conference, which will also include Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, will focus heavily on finding a solution to the unrest in Haiti.
You’re aware that Haiti’s political system breakdown has caused the country to plunge into anarchy, Mitchell said, adding that “countries all over the world and in this hemisphere have been trying to see what we can do to help.
“The United States has been at the forefront of this, and part of the reason they are sending such a sizable delegation is because of that. The Bahamas, which are 90 miles to the north of Haiti and serve as a transit point for people traveling from Haiti to the United States, are where the US has been looking for solutions to the political unrest there as well as ways to strengthen security there.
According to Mitchell, the Canadians have decided to take the initiative in attempting to find solutions to some of these issues, and Trudeau will be having discussions about it with Phillip Davis, the prime minister of the Bahamas and head of CARICOM.
If the UN decides that a force needs to enter Haiti once more, Jamaica and The Bahamas have agreed to contribute personnel. How those modalities will be handled is the matter at hand. It is clear that we lack the personnel to carry out such a task. We want to help with both the problem and the solution.
According to Mitchell, “the developed countries have been speaking to CARICOM whether or not we support what is being proposed and whether or not we will cooperate with them on taking the lead.” He also mentioned that the summit will address the issues of climate change and food security.
Canada is a “longstanding bilateral partner,” according to Ambassador Donna Forde, Assistant Secretary-General of the Directorate of Foreign and Community Relations within the CARICOM Secretariat, and CARICOM is pleased that another opportunity presented itself for an inaugural meeting between the regional leaders and Trudeau.
According to a CARICOM statement, the regional leaders will also meet with Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Professor Benedict Okey Oramah, President and Chairman of the African Export-Import Bank, and Sergio Daz-Granados, Executive President of the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF).
