Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will be a special guest at the 46th Conference of the Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to be held next week, official sources reported.

Georgetown.- According to the website of the regional bloc, the South American leader will join the debates by the presidents of the area between February 25 and 28 in Guyana.

Lula’s government has played an important role in recent years in dealing with issues such as the resurgence of tensions between Guyana and Venezuela over the long-standing Essequibo dispute, and Brazil recently hosted a ministerial meeting to further advance understanding between the two neighbors.

On the other hand, CARICOM Secretary-General Carla Barnett said on Wednesday that the high-level meeting will focus on deepening regional integration and better promoting the interests of the Caribbean in the international arena.

She mentioned food security and nutrition, energy, crime and public safety, climate change, and the advancement of the Single Market and Economy of the Caribbean (MUEC), among the issues that the leaders of the region will discuss in search of consensus and possible solutions.

Barnett also emphasized that during the meeting, CARICOM leaders will examine the troubled situation in Haiti and expect to take new steps under the premise of transforming the area into a “true community for all.” (PL)