For member states: Chief executive officer of Angostura Ltd Ian Forbes, left, presents Minister of Foreign and Caricom Affairs Dr Amery Browne with a specially developed bottle of Angostura Tribute rum at yesterday’s handover ceremony at the company’s Laventille headquarters.

At 50 years old, the Caribbean Community (Caricom) continues to face some “hard-hitting challenges”, Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Dr Amery Browne has said.

His ministry yesterday received from spirits producer Angostura Ltd 240 bottles of a specially curated rum to be presented to member states as part of Caricom’s 50th anniversary celebrations.

Speaking at a ceremony at the House of Angostura in Laventille, Browne said the handover was a fitting start to the year-long regional celebrations which will begin in T&T.

“Caricom at 50 years old continues to treat with hard-hitting challenges and we are working to increase our regional connectivity through air and sea travel, to build resilience and pursue climate justice, generate impactful levels of self-reliance with respect to agriculture, to achieve progress and sustainable development and advance the safety and security of our Caricom region which is under threat across the region,” he said.

While these are focus areas for Caricom, Browne said there should be a clear understanding that the private sector still plays an important role in Caricom’s ability to achieve these goals.

Heads of government have also focused on building a platform for the future of the region’s youth and future generations, he said.

“In this vein, as a core building block for youth engagement, Caricom has been working to create digital resilience, including artificial intelligence and data analytics, encouraging youth participation and revitalising West Indies cricket,” Browne said.

He said the flip-side to revitalising West Indies cricket was that a successful West Indies cricket team could lift and inspire an entire generation which was needed “now more than ever”.

The creation of the rum was done in collaboration with the West Indies Rum and Spirits Producers’ Association (WIRSPA), Angostura said.

Chief operating officer of Angostura Ian Forbes said the tribute rum was created by the distillery’s all-woman blending team.

“This blend is a tribute to our collective history and the vibrant culture of the Caribbean. The presentation of this blend recognises the collective success of Caricom in promoting regional integration and development,” said Forbes.

At 50 years old, the Caribbean Community (Caricom) continues to face some “hard-hitting challenges.”

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