Governor-General Sir Rodney Williams used Tuesday’s Throne Speech to reaffirm Antigua and Barbuda’s commitment to regional integration, describing CARICOM as essential to the country’s long-term stability and prosperity.
Speaking during the ceremonial opening of Parliament, Sir Rodney linked the country’s modern regional identity to decades of Caribbean political and economic cooperation.
“My Government views the CARICOM as essential to our island-nation’s stability and prosperity,” the Governor-General said.
The speech traced the roots of Caribbean integration back to the 1946 manifesto of the Antigua Trades and Labour Union Political Committee and the formation of the West Indies Federation in 1958.
Sir Rodney also referenced the creation of the Caribbean Free Trade Association in 1965 and the eventual establishment of CARICOM in 1973 as milestones in the region’s push toward collective development and cooperation.
“The 1958 establishment of the West Indies Federation embodied the hopes and aspirations of a single Caribbean State,” he said.
According to the speech, the government believes CARICOM institutions continue to provide important protections and collaborative frameworks for small island states facing economic and geopolitical challenges.
“The several multilateral institutions created to meet the collective and individual needs of the CARICOM member-States, form a protective blanket that allows for collaboration and far-ranging security building measures,” Sir Rodney said.
The Governor-General’s remarks came during a section of the speech focused on foreign affairs and global instability, where he warned that conflicts involving major world powers continue to create economic burdens for small developing states like Antigua and Barbuda.
The speech specifically referenced the Russia-Ukraine war and tensions involving Iran, Israel and the United States, arguing that rising fuel, shipping and insurance costs resulting from those conflicts have affected Caribbean economies despite the region having no role in starting them.
Sir Rodney also praised Foreign Affairs Minister E.P. Chet Greene, describing him as a “very skillful Minister” whose management of Antigua and Barbuda’s foreign affairs helped navigate increasingly difficult geopolitical conditions.