'Latin America's Largest Vote Base' CARICOM Visits Korean Prime Minister, Critical for Busan Expo Bid

Prime Minister Han Deok-su Meets with CARICOM Leaders
"Busan Expo to Become a Platform for Sharing Climate Crisis Response and Economic Know-how"

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo conducted a ‘2030 Busan World Expo sales campaign’ on the 3rd (local time) in Port of Spain, the capital of the Caribbean island nation Trinidad and Tobago. CARICOM (Caribbean Community) is an economic council of 14 countries, with 13 member countries of the International Bureau of Expositions (BIE), making it the largest voting bloc in Latin America for the 2030 Expo bid. During his meeting with CARICOM leaders, Prime Minister Han emphasized “We will make the Busan Expo a platform where the whole world shares know-how on responding to the climate crisis and economic development.”

With the selection of the 2030 Expo host country just over four months away, the government is putting all its efforts into winning votes until the very end. This is why Prime Minister Han attended the CARICOM summit, held to commemorate its 50th anniversary, as the first Korean head of government to participate directly in the bid negotiations.

CARICOM has shown a tendency for bloc voting in international elections. During the Yeosu Expo, they collectively supported Korea. However, since Saudi Arabia has held an early lead, CARICOM is considered a key battleground in the bid race. To negotiate the Expo bid in this region, Prime Minister Han will attend the 45th CARICOM Summit from the 3rd to the 5th for three nights and four days.

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo meeting with Secretary-General Carla Barnett (Source: Prime Minister's Office)

Bilateral Meeting with Prime Minister Keith Rowley... Strengthening Economic Cooperation

On the morning of the first day, the 3rd, Prime Minister Han held a bilateral meeting and luncheon with Keith Rowley, Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, the host country of the CARICOM summit. Trinidad and Tobago is the largest economy in the region, accounting for about 25% (27.88 billion USD, ranked 1st) of the total GDP (111.5 billion USD) of the 14 CARICOM countries.

Prime Ministers Han and Rowley evaluated that since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1985, cooperation in resources such as oil and natural gas and human exchanges have steadily developed. They agreed to expand cooperation in areas including △energy and infrastructure △climate change and marine environment △capacity-building projects. Additionally, they discussed ways to expand Korea’s contribution to the Caribbean region using the ‘Korea-CARICOM Cooperation Fund.’

Prime Minister Han Meets with UN Secretary-General... Shared Condemnation of North Korean Provocations

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo meeting with UN Secretary-General Ant?nio Guterres (Source: Prime Minister's Office)

In the afternoon, Prime Minister Han held a meeting with Ant?nio Guterres, UN Secretary-General. They exchanged broad views on △Korea-UN cooperation △the Korean Peninsula issue △global challenges. Prime Minister Han expressed hope that “through Korea’s tenure as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in 2024-2025, Korea can contribute to the international community’s freedom, peace, and prosperity,” and stated that Korea will strengthen cooperation with the UN in preparation for Security Council activities.

Prime Minister Han expressed gratitude to Secretary-General Guterres for strongly condemning North Korea’s provocations and urging compliance with Security Council resolutions. Earlier, on May 31, the UN Secretary-General’s spokesperson issued a statement condemning North Korea’s satellite launch. In this regard, Secretary-General Guterres reaffirmed the need for the international community to unite and continuously send a clear message to North Korea.

“Remembering the Noble Sacrifice of Surinamese Soldiers”... Agreement to Strengthen Cooperation

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo meeting with UN Secretary-General Ant?nio Guterres (Source: Prime Minister's Office)

In the afternoon, Prime Minister Han held a bilateral meeting with Chandrikapersad Santokhi, President of Suriname. Prime Minister Han conveyed his remembrance of the noble sacrifice of Surinamese soldiers who participated in the Korean War. He also expressed deep condolences over the passing of a war veteran in May due to old age. Prime Minister Han and President Santokhi agreed that Korea can be an excellent partner in Suriname’s areas of interest, including △climate change and disaster response capacity building △agriculture and forestry technology advancement △fisheries development and marine science research.

That evening, Prime Minister Han attended the opening ceremony of the 45th CARICOM Summit as a special invitee, along with UN Secretary-General Ant?nio Guterres and others, held at the CARICOM summit venue. The CARICOM member state leaders attending the opening ceremony celebrated the 50th anniversary of CARICOM’s founding and pledged to continue efforts for economic development and regional integration among CARICOM member states.

Immediately after the opening ceremony, Prime Minister Han attended a welcome reception held at the Presidential Palace of Trinidad and Tobago, where he conversed with key CARICOM figures including Roosevelt Skerrit, Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica (CARICOM Chair), and Carla Barnett, Secretary-General of CARICOM, discussing ways to strengthen relations between Korea and the Caribbean.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.