BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, (GIS) – Barbados and the State of Palestine formally established diplomatic relations on Tuesday, June 11, at a ceremony at the Barbados Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York.
This move follows the April 19, 2024, decision of the government of Barbados to recognise the State of Palestine.
The Joint Communiqué was signed by ambassador and Permanent Representative of Barbados to the United Nations, François Jackman, and ambassador and permanent observer of the permanent observer mission of the State of Palestine to the United Nations, Riyad H. Mansour.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade (MFAFT), Kerrie Symmonds, speaking on the occasion of the signing, said:
“Barbados is proud to have reached this milestone in its relationship with the State of Palestine. Today, as we formalise our relationship with the State of Palestine, we are making clear our support for Palestinian self-determination – the right of the people of Palestine to their own state, in accordance with their own wishes.
“We are also proud of whatever small impact our decision to take this step may have had in the wider geopolitical sphere. Barbados’ decision was closely followed in the region by the announcement that The Bahamas, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago were also recognising the State of Palestine. As a result of these developments, all CARICOM countries now recognise Palestine.”
Symmonds continued:
“In addition, in the last two weeks, four European countries – Ireland, Norway, Slovenia and Spain – have also announced their recognition of the State of Palestine.
“As it relates to the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, Barbados reiterates its principled position, calling for an immediate and lasting ceasefire in the war in Gaza. We also reiterate the many calls for the immediate, unconditional release of all hostages and the provision of humanitarian assistance in all its dimensions to the people of Gaza. We remain of the view that a ceasefire is an essential condition for a broader settlement and lasting peace in the Middle East. In this regard, we welcome the decision on Monday by the UN Security Council to support peacemaking efforts in the region.”
Barbados’ recognition of and establishment of diplomatic relations with the State of Palestine serves to strengthen its long-standing position in favour of a two-state solution to the situation in the Middle East.
In this regard, Israel was one of the first countries with which Barbados established diplomatic relations in 1967. These relations remain close and cordial and have seen numerous examples of technical cooperation in a number of areas.