Mélanie Joly, Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that Maninder Sidhu, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, will travel to Trinidad and Tobago and to Guyana from July 2 to 7, 2023.
A release from the Canadian High Commission said that during his visit to Trinidad and Tobago, Sidhu will represent Canada at the opening ceremony of the 45th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
While there, he will also meet with Trinidad and Tobago’s Amery Browne, Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, and Fitzgerald Hinds, Minister of National Security, to discuss shared political and economic priorities, including expanding trade and investment, and regional security. In addition, Parliamentary Secretary Sidhu will attend a round-table networking event to learn about the opportunities and challenges for Canadian business in Trinidad and Tobago.
During his visit to Guyana, Sidhu will meet with Hugh Todd, Guyana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, to strengthen the two countries’ collaboration on shared priorities, including energy transition and food security.
The Parliamentary Secretary will also get a better understanding of Guyana’s economic situation and its opportunities for Canadian companies by meeting key political and commercial stakeholders. In addition, the release said that he will have the chance to visit local projects that support migrants and early childhood development in Indigenous communities and that are funded by the Caribbean Regional Development Program and the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives.
Sidhu said in the release: “Canada and CARICOM are tightly connected through our deep people-to-people ties, shared economic interests and our commitment to common values, such as democracy, human rights, freedom of expression and the rules-based international order. I am delighted to represent Canada at the CARICOM heads of government meeting in Trinidad and Tobago in celebration of CARICOM’s 50th anniversary. I also look forward to strengthening our bilateral relationship with Guyana, as we are committed to collaborating on shared priorities, such as inclusive economic growth, food security and natural resource management.”
