Trump looks forward to continued working with Jamaica
By Nelson A. King
The Donald J. Trump administration
in the United States
says it is looking forward to
continued collaboration with
Jamaica as the island on Tuesday
celebrated its 57th year of
political independence from
Great Britain.
“On behalf of the people of
the United States, I want to
extend my warmest congratulations
to the people of Jamaica as
you celebrate the 57th anniversary
of your independence on
Aug. 6, 2019,” said US Secretary
of State Mike Pompeo in a statement
on Tuesday.
“The United States and
Jamaica have long been friends,
partners and allies, with enduring
cultural and economic ties
and a commitment to democratic
and free market traditions,”
he added. “We join you
in celebrating your triumphs
of this past year, including the
UNESCO (United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural
Organization) recognition of
reggae as part of the cultural
heritage of humanity, as well as
Jamaica’s continued economic
growth and prosperity.
“Together we have worked to
advance the prosperity, security,
health, energy security and
disaster resiliency of the Caribbean
region,” Pompeo continued.
“Our cooperation demonstrates
the benefits that strong
Caribbean L 24 ife, Aug. 9-15, 2019 Q
partnerships bring to citizens of
both our countries.”
The US Secretary of State
said Washington “remains
firmly committed to working
closely with Jamaica to achieve
our shared interests outlined in
the US-Caribbean 2020 strategy,
the US Caribbean Resilience
Partnership, and the US-Jamaica
Child Protection Compact
Partnership.
“We also celebrate the tenth
anniversary of security cooperation
with Jamaica within the
framework of the Caribbean
Basin Security Initiative,” he
said. “The United States looks
forward to our continued collaboration
in these and other
endeavors.
“On this joyous day of celebration
and reflection, I offer my
kindest regards to the Jamaican
people and wish you much prosperity
in the years ahead,” he
added.
In February, Jamaica Prime
Minister Andrew Holness was
among a select group of Caribbean
leaders who met with at
his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm
Beach, Fl.
The other leaders were the
prime ministers of the Bahamas
and St. Lucia, and the presidents
of Haiti and the Dominican
Republic.
At the time, Trump promised
new investments in the five
Caribbean countries as a result
of supporting Washington’s bid
to oust Venezuela’s President
Nicolas Madura.
In the build-up to the meeting
the White House had
announced that Trump was
meeting with the select group of
Caribbean leaders to “reaffirm”
Washington’s “strong friendship
with and commitment to these
countries, and signal the importance
of the Caribbean to the
hemisphere.”
The White House statement
had said that Trump “will discuss
his vision for our diverse
relationships in the Caribbean
and the potential opportunities
for energy investment.”
“The United States remains
a good friend to the Caribbean
and seeks to build on a proud
legacy as the region’s partner of
choice,” it said.
However, Trump began the
meeting by announcing that he
would be “discussing ways that
we can be beneficial to you, and
you can be beneficial to us.”
Besides Holnes, the Caribbean
leaders were the Bahamas’s
Hubert Minnis, St. Lucia’s
Allen Chastanet, Haiti’s Jovenel
Moise and Dominican Republic’s
Danilo Medina.
US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo. Associated Press / Cliff Owen
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