Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders Tuesday said they remained “deeply concerned” at the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, more than a year after the Russian army initiated war in the East European country.
A brief statement issued by the Guyana-based CARICOM Secretariat did not indicate when the regional leaders met to advance the new position, but last month, St Vincent and Grenadines Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves said he would be briefing the regional leaders following his discussions in Venezuela with the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov.
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“I will report as to the discussion which I had with Mr. Lavrov…as to that particular discussion. So those meetings were very important with a lot of practical consequences for us,” Gonsalves said.
In the statement, the regional leaders say they “remain deeply concerned at the severe impact of the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation on energy, nuclear security and safety, the environment and global food security.
“We register, in particular, our grave concern at the negative impact of the war on the global economy, and on the economies in our region, where disruptions in trade and high fuel prices have resulted in extremely high rates of inflation reflected in increased prices for goods and services for the people of our region.”
The Caribbean leaders are urging “a return to mature diplomacy and call on all relevant bodies to intensify engagement, to propel an urgent and enduring resolution to the conflict and to build peace.” CMC
