This morning’s arrival of President of the 75th session of the United Nations, General Assembly, Volkan Bozkir, at the Grantley Adams International Airport was a historic occasion, as it was the first for a sitting President to this country.
Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Trade, Sandra Husbands, in extending a warm welcome to the President, noted that his visit presented Barbados with a unique opportunity to engage a high-level member of the UN Secretariat on areas of importance to Barbados.
While in the Grace Adams Suite at the Grantley Adams International Airport, the two officials discussed a number of topics, including: the COVID-19 pandemic; the upcoming UNCTAD 15 conference, being hosted by Barbados; climate change Small Island Developing States’ vulnerability to its effects; the impact of the eruption of the La Soufriere volcano; poverty around the world and access to assistance for middle income countries.
President Bozkir, expressed his pleasure at being in Barbados and complimented this country and the Caribbean on gender equality, noting the number of women in high ranking positions, including the Governor General, Prime Minister, and Cabinet Ministers.
The UN General Assembly’s President reaffirmed his commitment to highlighting the plight of small island states (SIDS) and middle income countries, and reiterated the point, that COVID-19 has shown clearly now more than ever, that countries need to work together to address challenges.
He stressed that global problems require global solutions and multilateral mechanisms needed to be established to combat challenges facing the world.
During his visit to Barbados, Mr. Bozkir will meet with Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Dr. Jerome Walcott.
Also present to welcome President Bozkir and his delegation were Permanent Representative of Barbados to the United Nations, Francois Jackman; Permanent Secretary, Simone Rudder; and UN Resident Coordinator for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, Didier Trebucq.
Before arriving in Barbados for a two-day work visit, President Bozkir visited Antigua and Barbuda and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. These visits serve as the final trip of his presidency, which began in September 2020 and ends this September.