CARIBBEAN- Martinique is now an Associate Member of CARICOM.

FORT DE FRANCE, Martinique, CMC – The French overseas department of Martinique officially took its seat for the first time in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) during the opening ceremony of the Fifty-First Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government on Sunday, in St. Lucia.

This first participation gives tangible expression to Martinique’s accession as an Associate Member, which entered into force on June 16, 2026, following the signing of the accession agreement last year in Barbados and the ratification of the Agreement on the Privileges and Immunities of CARICOM.

During the opening ceremony, CARICOM Secretary-General Dr Carla Barnett officially welcomed Martinique as the Community’s seventh Associate Member.

“It took many years for us to be accepted into CARICOM. This shows how difficult it can be to belong to two institutional frameworks at once. But today, we are here,” said Serge Letchimy, President of the Executive Council in Martinique.

“This should not be seen as an end in itself. It is only the beginning. We must now move into action. Businesses, financing and investment must now come on board.”

Meanwhile, the arrival of Martinique’s outgoing chairman, the Prime Minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Dr Terrance Drew, illustrates the organization’s core purpose: bringing the countries and territories of the Caribbean together around a concrete integration project that serves its people.

“We believe that together we are stronger,” he said. “We have several institutions that benefit us, and that would be difficult for each country to establish on its own, but together we can make them a reality for the benefit of our people.”

“Martinique now has a more structured framework for engaging with its Caribbean neighbors. The President of the Executive Council intends to turn this dual positioning into concrete projects, economic exchanges, cooperation, mobility, and investment to make Martinique a hub connecting the Caribbean, the Americas, Europe, and Africa. “We are reconnecting with our common home: the Caribbean. A door has been opened. It truly exists. We must now use it,” Letchimy concluded.