Barbados is looking to leverage its historical ties with the people of Charleston, South Carolina, as it seeks to deepen relations.
Acting Prime Minister, Santia Bradshaw, expressed this yesterday at a reception at Ilaro Court, where a delegation led by the Mayor of Charleston, South Carolina, John J. Tecklenburg, was welcomed to the island.
“Today, we continue to look towards the future, leveraging our shared heritage as a springboard for exploration into the myriad opportunities for collaboration that exists between us. Your very presence here… heralds a future of ever-strengthening ties between us.
“Barbados looks forward to broadening the scope of that relationship with Charleston beyond mere cultural heritage because there is so much more; cultural heritage is very powerful, but we believe that we can also expand into unexplored areas of mutual interests,” Ms. Bradshaw stated.
The acting Prime Minister expressed the hope that the visit would not only open the door for continued cooperation in the area of culture but also in tourism, sustainable development, global life sciences, technology and education.
Mayor Tecklenburg, in his remarks, emphasised that he, along with the delegation was “excited to be in Barbados and it feels like we’ve come back from whence we came”. He noted that the city of Charleston was founded by Barbadians, and as a result had a lot in common, notably food, culture and architecture.
Major Tecklenburg also pointed out that he envisioned a beautiful future and relationship between his city and Barbados and pledged “we’re going to keep this relationship growing and alive”.
Both officials thanked those who organised the trip for the approximately 50 delegates from the business and cultural community of Charleston, South Carolina.
The trip and its itinerary were organised by Consul General in Miami, Rudy Grant, and the staff of the consulate in association with the Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc.; the Division of Culture in the Prime Minister’s Office; Export Barbados; Invest Barbados; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, and the St. Peter Organising Committee, as well as Honorary Consul for Barbados in South Carolina, Rhoda Green.
The delegation arrived on October 12, and will be on the island until October 19. While here the delegates will engage in business meetings, roundtable discussions, visits to historic sites, culinary and cultural events. The visit coincides with the 25th anniversary of the twinning of the cities of Charleston, South Carolina and Speightstown.