7TH Meeting of Jamaica/Colombia Bi-National Neighbourhood Commission Begins Today

At the invitation of the Colombian Foreign Minister, HE Angella Maria Holguin Cuellar, Minister of Foreign Affairs & Foreign Trade, the Hon. Dr. Kenneth Baugh will pay an Official visit to Bogota, Colombia from Wednesday, August 31, to Thursday, September 1.

Dr. Baugh will head the Jamaican delegation to Colombia as they engage in the 7th Meeting of the Jamaica/Colombia Bi National Neighbourhood Commission.

The Jamaica/Colombia Bi-National Neighbourhood Commission is the main framework under which Jamaica/Colombia cooperation is conducted in areas including agriculture; energy; trade and investment, education and culture.

More specifically, the technical teams will over the two days, engage in intensive consultations in various cooperation programmes including the Jamaica Cassava Sector Development Programme, cooperation in fisheries development and collaboration in the field of security cooperation.

In addition, new and existing Agreements between the two countries will be considered.

Reciprocal recognition of university degrees

Interestingly, Colombia and Jamaica both recognise the university degrees, certificates and academic grades of Colombian and Jamaican students. This follows the 2000-concluded Agreement between the Colombian Embassy and the University Council of Jamaica.

Following the establishment of diplomatic relations on February 24, 1965, the Jamaica/Colombia Bi-National Neighbourhood Commission was established in 1994 under the Technical & Scientific Cooperation Agreement between both countries. Three years after, the cities of Kingston and Cartagena De Indias were twinned. In 2009, also, Kingston was twinned with the Archipelago of San Andres in Colombia.

Jamaica which has maintained a negative trade balance with Colombia over the last decade, mainly imports sugar and sugar confectionary; mineral fuels; oils; distillation products; plastics and articles of plastics; electrical, electronic equipment; paper and paperboard and articles of pulp from Colombia.  On the other hand, Jamaica exports gypsum; anhydrite; plasters; spirits; liqueurs; other spirit beverages; alcoholic preparations and beer from malt to Colombia.

As part of his Official Visit to Colombia, Dr. Baugh will, on Wednesday afternoon address a Conference under the theme, Caribbean Geopolitics.