BUSINESS REPORTER
Barbados will host the first ever Africa-Caribbean Trade and Investment Forum (ACTIF2022) which begins next month, aimed at fostering the development of strategic partnerships between the business communities in Africa and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
The August 31 to September 3 forum will be held in the Barbadian capital, Bridgetown, under the theme, “One People, One Destiny: Uniting and Reimagining”.
The forum also seeks to cement bilateral cooperation and increase engagement in trade, investment, technology transfer, innovation, tourism and culture, among others.
ACTIF2022 is expected to contribute to the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) and the Caribbean trade development agenda, further reflecting the deep-rooted ties between Africa and the Caribbean based on their shared history, culture, common identity, and destiny.
Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley said her country was pleased to host ACTIF2022, which will be a major step towards strengthening relations between Africa and CARICOM.
“Last September, Barbados signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Afreximbank, and we are committed to the success of that MoU. Indeed, Barbados is of the view that the Afreximbank is a key partner for all CARICOM Member States in facilitating trade and investment opportunities between Africa and the Caribbean. I am confident thatACTIF2022 will connect our peoples and result in an increased flow of goods and services between our two regions – and overall, wider cooperation,” Mottley said.
Afreximbank president Benedict Oramah said ACTIF2022 is taking place against the backdrop of the renewed engagement between Africa and the Caribbean.
“The joint hosting of the first Africa-Caribbean Trade and Investment Forum is a key step towards the renaissance of the relationship between Africa and the Caribbean. Following the step taken on September 7, 2021, by the African and Caribbean Heads of State and Government at their summit where they renewed their commitment to revitalise the relationship, ACTIF2022 is the next logical stride, using the power of trade to reconnect the two regions,” Oramah said.
“We thank the Government of Barbados for sharing our vision and generously committing itself without hesitation to host this Forum, extending the invitation to the business communities and developmental agencies in Africa and the wider Caribbean region. We look forward to a successful forum and a renewed relationship between two regions that everything links.”
Participants at ACTIF2022 will include African and Caribbean Heads of State, senior government representatives, business leaders, representatives of business associations, development agencies, multilateral finance institutions, think-tanks and research institutions from Africa and the Caribbean.
ACTIF2022is being convened by the Government of Barbados and the Afreximbank, in collaboration with the African Union Commission, the AfCFTA Secretariat, the Africa Business Council, the CARICOM Secretariat, and the Caribbean Export Development Agency.
