Secretary General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Dr Carla Barnett on Thursday paid her first official visit to the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) since her appointment last August.

The visit to the Bank’s headquarters was a return to familiar ground for the Secretary General, who previously served as Country Economist at CDB between 1989 to 1990 and Vice-President (Operations) between 2012 to 2014.

While at CDB, Dr Barnett met with Bank President Dr Gene Leon, Vice-President Mrs. Yvette Lemonias-Seale and their advisors.

They discussed further opportunities for collaboration between the two entities and ways to further their common goals of building economic opportunity and prosperity for the people of the Region through deeper regional cooperation.

CDB President Dr Gene Leon stated:

“CDB and CARICOM are certainly partners in progressing the Caribbean. We share mutual goals of advancing the Region through economic and social integration. The Secretary General of course understands both institutions incredibly well and we spent some time discussing the unique and promising synergies which we can bring to bear on tackling the Region’s issues. It was a pleasure meeting with Dr Barnett and I’m looking forward to us continuing and strengthening the partnership between our institutions.”

The CARICOM Secretary General noted:

“It was a pleasure visiting the Bank and beginning a conversation with President Leon on how best our two organisations can work together to advance the development of the Region. The skills and intellect available at all our Regional institutions must be harnessed as we seek to build an economically and socially resilient Caribbean Community.”

The two regional institutions share a long-standing and productive partnership, formalised in 2019 with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to deepen collaboration on projects and programmes which facilitate regional integration and expansion of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy.