The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) accepted on Friday, March 17, 2023, the Greek request for Greece’s participation in CARICOM with observer status, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says in a statement.

It was preceded by the recent visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikos Dendias, to Latin American and Caribbean countries in February, as well as the signing of the agreement on the participation of Greece with observer status in the “Central American Integration System” (SICA – Central American Integration System) ) on February 24.

“The General Secretariat of the above regional organization welcomed Greece’s interest in further strengthening its long-term friendly relations with the CARICOM member states, noting, at the same time, that it looks forward to an enhanced political dialogue and cooperation with Greece,” states the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and adds:

“This development reflects the expanding relations of our country with the states of the region, provides new opportunities for cooperation with them, especially in matters of common interest such as environmental protection and insularity, and highlights the increasingly important international role of Greece, which is no longer limited to a narrow regional geographic context’.

CARICOM consists of 15 full members (the vast majority of which are island states), 5 associate members and 8 observers. All subsidiary members are overseas possessions of the United Kingdom. Although it maintains ties with Cuba, the latter is not a member due to its lack of political organization.