In collaboration with the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), the government of Barbados is organizing the Africa-Caribbean Trade and Investment Forum (ACTIF) in Bridgetown, capital Barbadian from August 31 to September 03, 2022. In a statement issued within the framework of the organization on 13 August 2022, it was stated that the very first Africa-Caribbean Trade and Investment Forum aims to “connect Africa, the Caribbean and the Diasporas to strengthen economic ties and extend their fronti& Grave; res”.

This meeting will be based on the theme “One people, one destiny: uniting and reinventing our future”. The objective is to promote the development of strategic partnerships between the business communities of the region, the African and Caribbean Community (CARICOM). Similarly, bilateral cooperation will be strengthened to increase engagement in several sectors, namely trade, investment, technology transfer, culture, tourism, innovation and others. The forum also contributes to the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement.

For the Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Amir Mottley, ACTIF 2022 will connect peoples and increase the flow of goods and services between regions with global and broader cooperation. On the side of the professor and chairman of the board of directors of Afreximbank, Benedict Oramah, “this forum is taking place in the context of the renewed commitment between Africa and the Caribbean.” This is “a key step towards the revival of relations between Africa and the Caribbean,” Oramah believes. As a reminder, the forum was convened following collaboration between the Government of Barbados and Afreximbank with the African Union Commission and the Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area.