Prime Minister Gaston Browne says relations between Africa and the Caribbean must deliver greater economic opportunities while strengthening the cultural and ancestral bonds connecting their people.

In his message marking Africa-CARICOM Day today, September 7, Browne reaffirmed Antigua and Barbuda’s commitment to building a deeper and more productive partnership between the Caribbean Community and African nations.

He said the relationship must now advance beyond historical recognition and broad declarations to become a strategic alliance capable of shaping the future of both regions.

“We must move beyond declarations and translate our solidarity into trade, investment, technology, education, tourism, transportation, culture and people-to-people partnerships,” Browne said.

The Prime Minister identified stronger air links as essential to achieving that goal, noting that people in both regions must be able to travel, conduct business, exchange ideas and pursue investment opportunities more easily.

He said Antigua and Barbuda’s engagement with the African Export-Import Bank forms part of this wider effort to improve access to capital, expand trade and investment, support entrepreneurship and create new opportunities.

However, Browne stressed that the success of Africa-CARICOM relations should not be judged solely by their financial value.

“Our relationship with Africa cannot be measured only in dollars and cents,” he declared.

“Africa is not simply a market for the Caribbean, and the Caribbean is not simply a market for Africa. We are family.”

According to the Prime Minister, deeper cooperation must also help reconnect people who were separated by slavery and other forces of history.

He said young people should understand their African heritage and be encouraged to celebrate the culture, music, food, language, spirituality, art and traditions shared across Africa and the Caribbean.

“It is about restoring pride in an African-Caribbean identity that has survived centuries of attempts to diminish it,” Browne said.

The Prime Minister also recalled his advocacy for September 7 to be designated as Africa-CARICOM Day following the inaugural Africa-CARICOM Summit in 2021.

He said he championed the observance because he believed the connection between both regions should be transformed into a meaningful and forward-looking partnership.

Browne maintained that closer relations could significantly strengthen the collective influence of Africa and the Caribbean while promoting greater prosperity, mobility and cultural understanding among their people.