CARICOM, Italy strengthen ties with accreditation of new Ambassador
28 May 2026
Ties between the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Italian Republic were strengthened on Thursday, 28 May, when CARICOM Secretary-General Dr Carla Barnett accredited a new Ambassador of Italy, Her Excellency Giuditta Giorgio.
“Today, we celebrate a partnership that began over two decades ago with the accreditation of the first Italian Ambassador to the Caribbean Community in 2004, which laid the foundation for closer ties,” Secretary-General Barnett said during the virtual accreditation ceremony.
She said CARICOM values Italy’s advocacy for Small Island and Low-Lying Coastal Developing States in fora where they do not have a voice, such as the Group of Seven, the Group of Twenty, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
Highlighting CARICOM-Italy collaboration under the 2015 Memorandum of Understanding on Technical Cooperation, she noted Italy’s support in strengthening the national energy grids of 11 Member States through a six-million-euro contribution, as well as its cooperation in sustainable development to safeguard the fragile marine and terrestrial ecosystems that sustain life in the Community.
Dr Barnett also highlighted Italy’s support for the 15th Caribbean Festival of Arts (CARIFESTA XV) in Barbados last year, which brought Italian fashion into the Caribbean marketplace; the growing academic partnerships between Italian universities and The University of the West Indies, and diplomatic initiatives being facilitated by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
On the regional front, she noted the pressing multidimensional situation in Haiti and its delicate transition towards general elections.
“We welcome the international community’s continued commitment, specifically support for the Gang Suppression Force established by United Nations Security Council Resolution 2793. As this Force works alongside local Haitian authorities to neutralise threats to the democratic process, Italy’s role as a partner in peacebuilding remains vital,” Dr Barnett told the new Italian Ambassador.
In this regard, she conveyed CARICOM’s appreciation for Italy’s collaboration on capacity-building initiatives to combat illicit financial flows and money laundering, underscoring their shared resolve to dismantle transnational crime.
Looking to the future, she said CARICOM seeks Italy’s support in advocating for the reform of the global financial architecture to better serve vulnerable nations. This includes the operationalisation of the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index, which aims to ensure that all nations, especially small CARICOM Member States, are assessed not only by gross domestic product, but also by their vulnerability.
Ambassador Giuditta Giorgio reaffirmed Italy’s commitment to deepening ties with CARICOM, citing ongoing cooperation through the 2015 Memorandum of Understanding, environmental and energy initiatives, and a €50 million soft loan in synergy with the Caribbean Development Bank.
“Italy attaches great importance to the Caribbean region, as shown by the Growing relevance of the relations with Latin America and the Caribbean in Italian foreign policy,” stated the Ambassador.
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