I am pleased to bring you greetings from the President of the Republic of Chile, Mrs. Michelle Bachelet and from the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Alejandro Foxley.

It is truly a privilege to be welcomed by you in your capacity as Secretary General of CARICOM, understanding the enormous contribution being made by this institution in the noble task of uniting the people of the Caribbean.

Honourable Secretary General,

You are aware of Chile’s interest in developing closer ties with the sister nations of the Caribbean, as reflected in concrete policies over several years. You must know that for a small country with limited resources, such a task in this region means significant effort. Nevertheless, these are goals which we have set in a framework of sincere friendship, fully convinced that we can help each other in a reciprocal fashion.

For this reason, Chile currently has two resident Embassies in the Caribbean, one in Jamaica and the other in Trinidad and Tobago. We have also rearranged our concurrent missions, which is why I am here today.

Our message for our friends in the Caribbean is that we wish to work, work and work together with you.

These past years in the Caribbean have allowed us to identify specific areas for cooperation in which we have great potential for contributing towards a better quality of life for our people.

One such area is the issue of coastal borders, which is essential in a geographical environment comprising island states.

A second area is social order, where Chile is actively cooperating in the region, mainly in work to alleviate dire poverty and the marginalized condition of the poorest strata of the population. There are programs in development with Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and St. Lucia. There are also excellent prospects to work together on issues of gender, in order to improve the situation of women, and minors.

A third issue is trade, the most powerful support for solid political ties. Chile has signed multiple agreements with several countries and trading blocs and we define ourselves as an open economy. For this reason we have proposed, through you, that CARICOM members begin negotiations to sign a free trade agreement that will allow a secure and modern frame of reference to be created so that businesspeople can freely express themselves to the benefit of consumers. Chile is awaiting a response and our intention is to initiate those negotiations as soon as possible.

Honourable Secretary General,

We the Chileans wish to warmly greet our sister nations in the Caribbean and their governments, reminding you that there in the south, in that cold area at the end of the earth, there is a nation of working people who respect you and wish to be closer to you.

CONTACT: piu@caricom.org