Foreign Minister calls 1st Caribbean–EU Parliamentary Assembly “timely” amidst shifting trade realities

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, EP Chet Greene says 1st Caribbean–EU Parliamentary Assembly offers the Caribbean a “timely” opportunity to recalibrate relations amidst a shifting global order.

Speaking to state media following the opening ceremony, the Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister said as the region is “forced to recalibrate” its economic models and trade arrangements, expanding trade and economic relations with the EU has become an area of expanded interest.

“As we are forced to reset our realities to respond to what is before us, so the EU represents one area of expanded interests, Africa with whom we have great historical links and connections represents a next one and so too, in Asia.

“So, we cannot just sit and mope what we are seeing in terms of traditional markets and traditional relations eroding or ebbing; we have to, ourselves, be creative and proactive and to use this moment to have new relations,” Minister Greene remarked.

Co-chaired on the Caribbean side by Heroy Clarke, President of the OACPS Caribbean Regional Parliamentary Group, and on the European Parliament side by MEP Malik Azmani, will engage in highlevel discussions on climate resilience, trade and investment, the Samoa Agreement, and key issues shaping interregional cooperation.

Minister Greene noted that Antigua and Barbuda will ensure that its voice is heard on key topics with critical intervention expected by Ministers and the government’s foreign affairs team.

He also stressed the importance of face-to-face engagement with EU officials over virtual meetings.

“It’s good to have these Zoom meetings, but the eyeballing is quite a different effect,” he noted, explaining why Antigua and Barbuda readily agreed to host the assembly.

The minister highlighted that while the EU’s climate focus includes sargassum, the Caribbean’s climate agenda extends far beyond this single issue. “Sargassum, of course, is not the major climate issue,” Greene clarified, emphasizing the importance of getting Caribbean priorities on the agenda.

The four-day intensive meeting will produce an outcome document that will shape future Caribbean-EU relations.

The foreign minister will present this document to cabinet for endorsement, consulting with relevant ministers—including tourism and health—on thematic areas requiring specialized input.

Prime Minister Gaston Browne’s opening remarks provided what Minister Greene described as “the roadmap for the expectations of the relations and how it should unfold,” establishing the framework for discussions throughout the assembly.