Prime Minister Mia Mottley and Serge Letchimy, President of the Executive Council of Martinique, signed a cooperation agreement between the two territories on July 7, on the sidelines of the CARICOM Summit.
This agreement marks a major political milestone in Martinique’s renewed and fully asserted place within its natural regional environment: the Caribbean.
This signing turns the Territorial Collectivity of Martinique’s ambition into concrete action: making regional integration a driver of development, economic empowerment, cultural outreach and a shared response to the major challenges of our time.
For Letchimy, “Martinique is not simply taking its seat at the CARICOM table. It is here to build, propose, cooperate and act.
With Barbados, we are opening a new chapter: one of useful, operational, organised and results-driven Caribbean cooperation. We share a common responsibility: to turn our geographical, historical and human proximity into concrete projects for our peoples.”
The agreement establishes a general framework for cooperation in areas that are strategic for the future of Caribbean societies: cultural and creative industries, sport, education, vocational training, risk management, health, tourism, fisheries and trade facilitation. These priorities respond directly to the challenges facing Caribbean countries: creating new opportunities for young people, developing skills, better connecting our economies, strengthening our resilience to climate-related risks, supporting productive sectors, and making culture a powerful vehicle for cooperation, identity and development.
The agreement provides for clear implementation and follow-up mechanisms.
• A Joint Cooperation Committee, co-chaired by Barbados and the Territorial Collectivity of Martinique, will be responsible for defining priorities, approving programmes, monitoring their implementation, reviewing results and recommending future actions.
• A Technical Secretariat will ensure the operational monitoring of projects. Each year, a joint activity report will assess the actions carried out, the resources mobilised, performance indicators, difficulties encountered and the action plan for the following year.
This approach reflects a strong commitment: to move beyond general declarations and enter into structured, measurable and sustainable cooperation.
The five-year renewable agreement establishes a framework for deeper cooperation between Martinique and Barbados, while reinforcing Martinique’s ambition to serve as a bridge between the Caribbean, Europe, the Americas and Africa.
(PR)
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