MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND FOREIGN TRADE
2 Port Royal Street, Kington
MEDIA RELEASE
June 29, 2026
Minister Johnson Smith to Push for Greater Trade and Investment Opportunities at Ministerial Talks in Spain
As Jamaica continues to recover from Hurricane Melissa and advance efforts to attract greater investment and build a more resilient economy, Foreign Minister, Senator the Honourable Kamina Johnson Smith will lead Jamaica’s participation in the Ministerial Dialogue for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), convened by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Madrid, Spain, come Tuesday (June 30).
“Jamaica’s participation will provide an opportunity to press for greater access to climate finance, and to advance our interest in stronger trade partnerships, improved market access and greater participation by Jamaican businesses in regional and global value chains. It will also support efforts to attract quality investment, strengthen logistics links and create more practical pathways for Jamaican goods and services to reach international markets,”</strong > says Johnson Smith.
The Ministerial Dialogue forms part of the activities marking the 10th anniversary of the OECD Latin America and the Caribbean Regional Programme. Jamaica’s participation will also focus on ensuring that Caribbean priorities, as well as those of other Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and small vulnerable economies, are placed at the centre of the OECD–LAC agenda.
Minister Johnson Smith is also expected to participate in the Special Session on ‘Greater Caribbean Engagement and Involvement’. “For Jamaica, this engagement is about turning policy dialogue into practical support for countries already doing the hard work of reform. We have strengthened our domestic financial management, but climate events such as Hurricane Melissa remind us that Small Island Developing States also require faster, fairer and more predictable access to concessional finance for recovery, reconstruction and long-term resilience”, Minister Johnson Smith explains.
On the margins of the Dialogue, Minister Johnson Smith is expected to hold bilateral talks with high-ranking Spanish officials, including Spain’s Foreign Minister, His Excellency Jose Manuel Albares and the Interior Minister, His Excellency Fernando Grande-Marlaska Gómez, on areas of mutual interest.
