MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND FOREIGN TRADE
2 Port Royal Street, Kingston
MEDIA RELEASE
Foreign Minister heads to Honduras for CELAC Summit
Senator the Honourable Kamina Johnson Smith, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, will lead Jamaica’s delegation to the Ninth Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), scheduled for April 9, 2025, in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
The Summit is being convened under the Chairmanship of President Xiomara Castro of Honduras and is expected to address regional priorities including food and energy security, climate resilience and the ongoing situation in Haiti. The gathering will also focus on strengthening economic ties across the region and deepening cooperation with extra-regional partners and institutions to include China and the European Union (EU). It will follow on the 24th Meeting of CELAC Foreign Ministers, the delegation for which will also be led by Minister Johnson Smith.
“Our participation in the Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and the Ninth CELAC Summit will allow Jamaica to engage on shared priorities and strategies for national and regional development, and serve to reaffirm our country’s longstanding interest and commitment to South-South cooperation. As we advance regional dialogue and cooperation across critical sectors, Jamaica views this Summit as another vital opportunity to call for additional international support for Haiti,” explains Minister Johnson Smith.
Foreign Minister Johnson Smith is slated to deliver Jamaica’s national statement during the Dialogue of Heads of State, as well as during a meeting of Foreign Ministers of CELAC, which will precede the Summit. Minister Johnson Smith is also scheduled to hold bilateral talks, with Honduras’ Foreign Minister, His Excellency Eduardo Enrique Reina García.
“Jamaica remains focused on working with our regional partners to build consensus and advance measures that reflect our shared priorities. Forums like CELAC provide important opportunities for formal and informal engagement on issues of mutual interest”, the Foreign Minister added.
CELAC comprises 33 member states across Latin America and the Caribbean. Jamaica has been an active participant since its establishment in 2011
