Caribbean And Latin American Countries Encouraged To Work Together

Photo above: Foreign Affairs Minister of the Dominican Republic, Andrés Navarro.

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, Mar. 31, (CMC) – Caribbean and Latin American states have been encouraged to work together, to effectively deal with problems and forge “one sole voice in the Americas” .

The Foreign Affairs Minister of the Dominican Republic, Andrés Navarro, issued the appeal, yesterday, at the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) 17th Meeting of National Coordinators, being held prior to the 10th Meeting of Foreign Ministers.

“It’s time to reflect together on the future of our community, on the five years of its existence and, above all, how we can continue to maintain our joint positions in the midst of the diversity that characterizes our sister nations.”

He added, that several attempts have been made in the hemisphere, over decades, to achieve integration, after the search for common solutions to problems, such as extreme poverty, food security, migration and gender issues, among others.

“That’s why we need to reach agreements in this meeting that reflect our common interests, to help us advance the momentous issues that drive this mechanism of Latin America’s and the Caribbean’s political, economic, social and cultural integration,” the Foreign Affairs Minister said.

CELAC’s national coordinators have been meeting to approve the Pro Tempore Presidency (PPT) CELAC-agenda and assess its development level, over its first five years, since it was founded as a mechanism for integration, cooperation and political dialogue.

CELAC is an inter-governmental mechanism for dialogue and political agreement that includes 33 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.

It is the successor of the Rio Group and the Summit of Latin America and the Caribbean on Integration and Development (CALC).

CELAC is a regional forum that brings together all of Latin America and the Caribbean.

It was created with a commitment to advance the gradual process of regional integration, unity and carefully balancing political,economic,social and cultural diversity of Latin America and the Caribbean of 650 million people.