Dominican Republic, Martinique seek CARICOM membership

Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali has announced that the Dominican Republic and Martinique have applied for membership in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) during the community’s summit in Georgetown.

“The process for these countries to become associate members has already begun,” Ali said in his closing speech at the summit, which was broadcast on his social media networks.

“The CARICOM secretariat will work with both Martinique and the Dominican Republic to comply with the procedural aspect of things, so that by the time we reach July – the month of the next regular meeting – the full mechanism will be in place and the recommendations will come,” Ali said.

The last time talks were suspended was due to the large-scale deportation of Haitians by the Dominican Republic.

CARICOM member-states include: Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Bahamas, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad & Tobago.