NASSAU, Bahamas, CMC – Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has held talks with Barbados Prime Minister Mia Motley on the side-lines of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) summit, according to an official Barbados government statement.
“We have been working together on some very, very big issues around the world – whether it’s on climate change, of course, where your voice has been powerful; whether it’s on the need to adjust the international financial architecture so that middle-income countries that are extremely vulnerable to climate change or to shocks are better supported in their ability to move forward,” Trudeau said.
He praised Mottley for her leadership in the Bridgetown Initiative, remarking that their work in many areas was “truly exceptional.”
The Bridgetown Initiative encourages the inclusion of a natural disaster clause stipulating a temporary suspension of interest rate payments on debt owned by the country hit by climate disaster. This would provide liquidity to the nation hit by the disaster.
The two leaders are co-chairs of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for the United Nations Secretary-General.
“It’s always good to sit down and talk about some of the issues that bring us down to the Caribbean, whether it’s economic growth, whether it’s a challenge in Haiti, whether it’s climate change, always a lot to talk about,” Trudeau added.
The statement said that Prime Minister Mottley had indicated that the two leaders should have met in the Caribbean in February 2020, but domestic and international realities had prevented this. Said: “The fact that we endured and the fact that we are also here to remind the world that you cannot forget the fundamental realities of the SDGs, which is to ensure that people can sleep easier every night in every country of the world, that is what we are committed to. Despite all that we do domestically and regionally, we have that obligation.
“At the domestic level, Barbados continues to benefit from our relationship with Canada. We believe it is a mutually rewarding relationship, but more importantly, size matters. And your country has been able to provide technical assistance, particularly in recent years, as we went through a difficult period economically,” Mottley said.
She praised Trudeau for his commitment to the Caribbean Regional Technical Assistance Centre, and working with countries in the region, noting that “the technical capacity needs are one of the things that the Caribbean has to bridge as a small states region.”
The statement quoted Prime Minister Mottley as saying that there were vexing issues that had to be dealt with, bilaterally and regionally, which would not be shied away from, and pointed out that the two countries were now experiencing a similar situation.
“You have had to manage migration over the decades to sustain your viability. We face the reality that ECLAC (Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean) has determined that by 2050, one in every two Barbadians could be over 65, and therefore our continued work.
“That is a national security issue, and our continued work together to see how best we can transition our countries at this difficult moment is one that we value our relationship with you to be able to do so,” Mottley said, adding that the Bridgetown Initiative would feature prominently in their talks. Still, she has “every confidence” that Trudeau’s voice on these matters has been one that has caused him to fight for not just climate but for the SDGs.
and then 