Barbados Jamaica Strengthen Bilateral Relations

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (BGIS) – Barbados and Jamaica have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signalling their agreement to strengthen the longstanding cooperation between the two countries.

Minister of foreign affairs and foreign trade and senior Minister with responsibility for the productive sector, Kerrie Symmonds and his counterpart senator. Kamina Johnson Smith, minister of foreign affairs and foreign trade of Jamaica, affixed their signatures to the MoU in the margins of the 11th United Kingdom – Caribbean Forum held on May 18, in Kingston.

The MoU provides for the two countries to cooperate more closely in areas of tourism, air services, trade, investment, private sector business collaborations, the medicinal cannabis industry, education, technical and vocational training, arts, culture, sports, entertainment, youth affairs, health and community development.

Leading up to this significant juncture in the Barbados-Jamaica bilateral relationship was the accreditation of CARICOM ambassador, David Comissiong, as High Commissioner of Barbados to Jamaica in March 2019 and the accreditation of Arthur Williams as the non-resident High Commissioner of Barbados to Jamaica in May 2022.

Prime minister Mia Amor Mottley, also had bilateral talks with prime minister Andrew Holness, and they both expressed the desire for the two countries to have a mechanism for further cooperation.

The two countries share similarities in the composition of their economies. Both economies are service-based and are highly dependent on tourism and financial services as major revenue earners. These similarities provide a basis to share experiences and join forces to defend these important sectors in the face of external challenges.

Barbados and Jamaica established diplomatic relations on November 30, 1966.

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