Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit is attending a meeting between United States officials and Caribbean leaders in Washington, DC, as the region seeks to strengthen its engagement with Washington on security, trade and development cooperation.
The meeting brings together Caribbean heads of government and senior US officials for discussions expected to cover a range of shared priorities, including regional security, economic partnership and climate resilience. Dominica's participation reflects the island's active role within the Caribbean Community and its interest in maintaining strong diplomatic ties with the United States.
Details of the agenda were not immediately released, but such high-level encounters typically address matters of mutual concern to the Caribbean and Washington. These have in recent years included cooperation on security and narcotics interdiction, access to development finance, energy security and the impact of climate change on small island states.
For Dominica, the talks come at a time when the island continues to pursue geothermal energy development, rebuild and strengthen infrastructure, and manage the economic pressures facing small Caribbean economies. Engagement with the United States is viewed in Roseau as important for attracting investment, supporting climate adaptation and maintaining access to regional markets.
The Prime Minister's travel to Washington follows a pattern of active Dominican diplomacy across the Caribbean, the wider Americas and beyond. Dominica is a member of the Caribbean Community, the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States and the Association of Caribbean States, and has consistently argued for greater international support for small island developing states.
Caribbean leaders have repeatedly used meetings with US officials to press for action on issues including correspondent banking, de-risking by international banks, and the need for easier access to concessionary financing for climate-vulnerable countries. These themes are expected to feature in the Washington discussions.
Security cooperation has also been a recurring item on the US-Caribbean agenda, with Washington and regional governments working together on combating illicit trafficking, strengthening border management and improving disaster response coordination.
No further details of the Prime Minister's schedule or the outcomes of the meeting were available at the time of publication. Dominica 1 will provide updates as official information becomes available.