On Tuesday November 28, 2023, the Grenada High Commission participated in the inaugural UK-Caribbean Trade and Investment Forum held at the Leonardo Royal Hotel, London.

The forum was hosted by DMA Invest, UK Export Finance, and the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office. In attendance were approximately 300 delegates including senior officials from eight Caribbean countries who travelled to London, and a further seven representing Caribbean diplomatic missions in the United Kingdom.

Highlighting the investment forum were ministerial presentations from visiting Ministers and delegates throughout the Caribbean such as Hon. Floyd O’Brian Green, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining from Jamaica, Hon. Paula Gopee-Scoon, Minister of Trade, and Industry and Acting Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, from Trinidad and Tobago, and Hon. Michel Chebat, Minister of Public Utilities, Energy, Logistics and E- Governance from Belize. A recorded video address from Hon. Dickon Mitchell, Prime Minister of Grenada headlined the event as the sole country with Head of Government participation. In his address, Prime Minister Mitchell described trade and investment as the twin-engines that propel nations towards prosperity. He noted, “For Grenada, there is a need to identify sectors for investment, determine niche investment opportunities within said sectors and develop bankable and viable investment opportunity profiles that clearly indicate the return on investments, payback periods, and effectively showcase these opportunities. I strongly believe that such actions will see more investment from the UK diaspora to the Caribbean with Grenada being no exception. We have started this process, and it will be ongoing.”

The summit featured four main panels with fireside discussions on The Caribbean offer; Natural Resources, Renewables and Sustainable Infrastructure; Core Infrastructure – Port, Harbour, and Airport Development, and The Blue and Green Economy. High Commissioner Rachér Croney were one of the four panellists speaking on some of the investment

opportunities within the blue and green economy – particularly in the fields of coastal and marine tourism, marine environment and energy, aquaculture and fisheries, shipping and transport, and climate change and coastal management. On the sidelines of the trade mission High Commissioner Croney also held several business-to-government meetings with companies from key sectors throughout the UK and Europe. The High Commissioner stated that, “These engagements provide a platform to showcase the investment opportunities not only within the islands, but as a Caribbean market to a global audience. It tells the story of a region with immense untapped opportunities. It is my hope that this Investment Forum would not be a one-off event but signal the deepening of economic ties between the UK and Caribbean region, with tangible outcomes for Grenada. The mission is engaged in on-going discussions with several companies following the trade mission.”

Grenada had one of the largest exhibition booths at the event displaying locally produced products for which the island is known, along with promotional videos featured throughout the Summit, including Grenada’s 50th anniversary theme song. View the Prime Minister’s recorded address here: https://vimeo.com/889217910