MOU to help Haiti

Senator Maxine McClean. (FP)

By Ricky Jordan | Mon, May 21, 2012 - 12:08 AM

Barbados and its CARICOM neighbours will work with Mexico in the area of higher education and in assisting Haiti, still reeling from the ravages of an earthquake two years ago.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Senator Maxine McClean informed the media that two memoranda of agreement (MOU) had been signed yesterday by CARICOM secretary general Erwin LaRocque and Mexico’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Patricia Espinoza to cooperate in biotechnology, engineering and nanotechnology, along with areas like the environment, tourism, natural disasters, trade and energy.

Speaking after the foreign ministers’ closed-door meeting of the second Mexico-CARICOM Summit at Hilton Barbados yesterday, she said cooperation involving exchange academics and graduate students would be ideal for Barbados and CARICOM to exploit.

“We sign cooperation agreements and oftentimes do not maximize the opportunities therein,” she said, noting that the MOUs would comprise mechanisms for follow-up to ensure their provisions were fully utilized.

“We have collaborated with Mexico on several areas and have to date not maximized bilaterally on the cooperation agreements we have had with them, but we’re seeking to do that,” added McClean.

Read the full story iin today's DAILY NATION.