00:00The regional leaders have ended their four-day summit here on Friday, agreeing to send humanitarian aid to Cuba, but
00:08the exact nature of that assistance has not yet been specified.
00:13In addition, they have agreed to establish a three-member committee that will reframe the relationship between the United States
00:22and the Caribbean.
00:23Prime Minister Dr. Terence Drew, who is also the CARICOM chairman, told the end-of-summit news conference that the
00:31situation in Cuba had been discussed and that CARICOM had already issued a statement on the matter.
00:38The matter of the challenging situation in Cuba was also discussed.
00:45All parties recognized, and this is our meeting with the Secretary of State, all parties recognized that there should be
00:56efforts to address the growing humanitarian crisis that's within CARICOM.
01:01The Caribbean community, cognizant of its very close relationship with both Cuba and the USA, and mindful of the extent
01:11to which the region can be negatively affected,
01:15is willing and to participate in any way that will redound to the benefit of the Cuban people while maintaining
01:25regional stability.
01:26Since January, the Donald Trump administration has sought to cut off oil supplies to Cuba.
01:34The U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has said that the economic reforms could offer the Cuban government a
01:41path to easing the U.S. pressure.
01:44Prime Minister Drew said that with regards to the cooperation framework with the United States,
01:50it would repurpose the existing relationship between the two parties.
01:56The CARICOM chairman had described the four-day summit as one of action and that the regional leaders had spent
02:04a considerable amount of time dealing with the most critical issues, including the ongoing situation in Haiti.
02:13The situation in Haiti.
02:15Heads of government received an update from the Eminent Persons Group, EPG,
02:20on the status of recent political developments in Haiti, and on the security and humanitarian situation.
02:28They expressed their deep appreciation for the government of Kenya for its own hesitating willingness
02:35to take on leadership of the Multinational Security Support Mission, the MSS,
02:42which has now transitioned to the Gang Suppression Force, GSF, authorized by Resolution 2793.
02:51They commended the Eminent Persons Group, EPG, for their wise and strategic facilitatory role
02:58under CARICOM's good offices at the time.
03:03The conference reiterated CARICOM's firm commitment to the restoration of peace and stability in Haiti
03:10and expressed support for the framework for improving security and holding of elections put forward
03:18by the new Prime Minister of Haiti.
03:23The leaders also discussed the issue of reparation.
03:27Reparations.
03:29Heads of government requested the Prime Ministerial Subcommittee on reparations
03:34to review and advise on the revised CARICOM 10-point plan for reparations, a manifesto,
03:41as well as on the priority activities for the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting
03:47scheduled for Antigua and Barbuda in November and other strategic meetings in 2026.
03:55But as the leaders get ready to return to their respective capitals,
04:00I asked the Trinidad-based regional political analyst, Derek Ramsemouj,
04:05who had traveled to Bastia, what are his initial thoughts on the outcome of the summit?
04:11I think this 50th summit is basically going to provide a new geopolitical space.
04:19When you looked at the global actors, the presence of Marco Rubio,
04:25you look at the challenges with respect to Cuba, Venezuela and Haiti,
04:31the governance structures will now be under review.
04:34But a functioning of this governance structure will be how do you reserve the security matters in the region.
04:43What are the challenges that China will present to the United States as well as the CARICOM stability?
04:51We must also recognize that we are seeing a different positioning by different Prime Ministers
04:58when it comes to the role that the United States should or should not be playing.
05:04We are going to see a new type of sovereignty argument being put forward
05:10as opposed to a common united position by CARICOM nation-states.
05:17The regional leaders will next meet for their next summit in St. Lucia in July.
05:23Peter Richards reporting for CCN TV6 from St. Kitts.
05:28The National Center for CCN TV6 from St. Kitts.
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