Caribbean identifies in Brazil a reliable partner
By: Roberto Morejón
At the initiative of the President of Brazil, representatives of the Caribbean met with the highest authorities of the South American giant to reorient trade and other areas of cooperation for mutual benefit.
The Brazil-Caribbean Summit, with the participation of representatives from 17 countries, addressed essential aspects of mutual contribution in the areas of environment, food security, air and maritime connectivity and energy.
Held in Brasilia, the meeting sought to reactivate South-South cooperation and identify potential sales and purchases to strengthen defenses against natural disasters, to which Brazil and the Caribbean are highly exposed.
Those attending the summit in Brasilia agreed to demand significant funding from industrialized countries at the United Nations Climate Conference, scheduled to take place in the Amazonian city of Belem in November.
The oft-repeated difficulty of air, sea and land connections to and from the Caribbean was addressed in Brasilia, with the announcement of initiatives to improve them.
In this regard, the support of the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean for the idea of linking Brazil even more closely to the Caribbean through trade and logistical integration is noteworthy.
On the other hand, it was very important to focus on the revitalization of trade exchanges, which went from six billion dollars in 2004 to only four billion in 2024.
A Brazil-Caribbean Ministerial Forum, announced in Brasilia, will be useful to monitor the revival in this economic area.
A special item on the agenda of the Brazil-Caribbean Summit was Haiti, in view of the violence, health and food security crisis there.
The host Head of State insisted on calling attention to Haiti's serious problems, silenced by many, and in this regard informed about the intention to share knowledge in renewable energies and inclusive agriculture, in addition to supporting the training of 400 police officers.
In order to support Haiti, the Inter-American Development Bank will donate US$ 290 million, although Lula asked the UN to become more involved in the analysis of the needs of this poor country.
For the small economies of the Caribbean, the Brazilian government's reaffirmation of its interest in strengthening ties and making its experience as the world's largest food producer and exporter available to its partners was welcome news.
