Summit Meeting of the Caribbean Community – CARICOM - Grenada, 25 and 26 February 2011

Minister Antonio de Aguia Patriota will travel to Grenada to take part in the 22nd Inter-sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of State of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), on 25 and 26 February.

The Minister will address the plenary of CARICOM Heads of State and Foreign Ministers.  He will go over the agenda for cooperation and political dialogue between Brazil and the Caribbean, with particular focus on the follow-up to the 1st Brazil-CARICOM Summit, held in Brasília on 26 April 2010.  He will announce an upcoming book on “African Heritage in Brazil and the Caribbean”, published by the Alexandre de Gusmão Foundation as provided for the Brasília Summit.  The book is a collection of essays by scholars from Brazil and every CARICOM member State and is an attempt to identify and examine common traits in the making of the Brazilian and Caribbean societies and to cherish the part played by people of African descent in their common history.

Minister Patriota will also hold bilateral working meetings with CARICOM members, among which is Grenada, host of the Summit.

Minister Antonio de Aguiar Patriota will be accompanied by the Brazilian candidate to the position of FAO Director-General, Dr. José Graziano da Silva, who will meet with Caribbean Community authorities.