Antigua & Barbuda has established a new investment and food security agreement with the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

During a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, it was announced that Anthony Smith Jr., the Minister for Agriculture, will lead a delegation to Venezuela to negotiate the acquisition of twenty-five acres of land aimed at agricultural development as part of the country’s food security initiative.

The agreement was signed at the ALBA House by Yván Gil, Venezuela’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Anthony Smith Jr., the Minister of Agriculture, Lands, Fisheries, and the Blue Economy of Antigua and Barbuda. This signing forms part of the multilateral AgroAlba project, which is spearheaded by the Bolivarian Alternative for the Peoples of Our America-People’s Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP). It follows a similar agreement signed with Saint Vincent and the Grenadines on November 6.

Minister Anthony Smith Jr. emphasized that these programs are crucial in tackling poverty and aiding in the elimination of social challenges.