Venezuele Crisis: Chairman Harris leads CARICOM's shuttle diplomacy mission to UN

The Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris, has met with UN Secretary-General, His Excellency António Guterres to discuss the situation in Venezuela.

On Monday, Prime Minister Harris led a high-level CARICOM delegation to the United Nations headquarters in New York, which included the Prime Minister of Barbados, the Honourable Mia Mottley, and the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Dr. the Honourable Keith Rowley.

Several Foreign Affairs Ministers from the Caribbean Community, namely the Honourable Peter David (Grenada), Senator the Honourable Dennis Moses (Trinidad and Tobago), and Senator Dr. the Honourable Jerome Walcott (Barbados), supported the Caribbean Prime Ministers during the meeting.

Several Ambassadors and Permanent Representatives to the United Nations were in attendance, namely Her Excellency Pennelope Beckles (Trinidad and Tobago); His Excellency Sam Condor (St. Kitts and Nevis), Her Excellency Keisha McGuire (Grenada), His Excellency Cosmos Richardson (Saint Lucia), and Her Excellency H. Elizabeth Thompson (Barbados).

Senior aides who were present to provide additional support included  Kaye Bass, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (St. Kitts and Nevis), Charles Jong, Director of Communications and Social Media in the Office of the Prime Minister (Barbados), and Alies Jordan, Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister (Barbados).

Representatives from the CARICOM Secretariat who were also at this morning's meeting included the Caribbean Community's Secretary-General, Ambassador H. E. Irwin LaRocque, Assistant Secretary-General for Foreign and Community Relations, Ambassador H.E. Colin Granderson, and Permanent Observer for the Caribbean Community to the UN, Ambassador H.E. Missouri Sherman-Peter.

Today's meeting was a follow-up to last Thursday's special emergency meeting held in Guyana by the CARICOM Heads of Government. Out of that meeting came the decision to have the Chairman, Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris, seek "an urgent meeting with the United Nations Secretary-General to request the UN's assistance in resolving the issue."

Following the meeting with H.E. António Guterres, members of the CARICOM delegation led by Prime Minister Harris discussed among themselves at the Permanent Mission of Barbados to the United Nations.

The high-profile shuttle diplomacy will continue throughout the day, as the CARICOM leaders have further meetings scheduled with Canada's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, H.E. Marc-André Blanchard, Russia's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, H.E. Vassily Nebenzia, among others.