Saint Lucia’s External Affairs Minister Alva Baptiste has expressed his gratitude to the Government of Italy for its support for the sustainable development of Caribbean Community Member States.
The Minister’s remarks were made in New York on Monday 19th September as he signed an agreement between the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and the Government of Italy for a concessional 50 million Euro soft loan from Italy to the CDB.
Minister Baptiste signed on behalf of Prime Minister Philip J Pierre who is the current Chairman of the CDB, while Italy’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ms. Marina Sereni, signed on behalf of the Government of Italy.
Participating in the signing ceremony also were the President of the CDB Dr. Hyginus Leon, Ambassador Maurizio Massari, Permanent Representative of Italy to the United Nations as well St. Lucia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Menissa Rambally.
The loan to the CDB will allow the Bank to finance sustainable development projects in the following CARICOM countries- Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Suriname. Hon. Baptiste said that Italy had always cooperated with and been a consistent partner of Caribbean countries.
SOURCE: Office of the Prime Minister
