Hilde Vautmans
AND
Malik Azmani
European group urges action on Caribbean-EU recommendations agreed in Antigua and Barbuda
Renew Europe is calling for concrete action on recommendations agreed by Caribbean and European parliamentarians in Antigua and Barbuda, saying their partnership must produce results in trade, investment, climate resilience and the fight against drug trafficking.
In a statement issued Nov. 10, the European parliamentary group said the second joint parliamentary assembly of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States and the European Union, bringing some 160 parliamentarians to Brussels, should help turn commitments into improvements in people’s lives.
Malik Azmani, co-president of the Caribbean-EU Parliamentary Assembly, pointed to agreements reached during talks in Antigua and Barbuda in February.
“Now we must make sure we deliver results,” Azmani said. “That is how we make this partnership stronger.”
Azmani, a Dutch member of the European Parliament, said cooperation was essential amid geopolitical conflict and economic uncertainty. He said the partnership spans more than 100 countries and about 2 billion people across four continents.
The group called for a partnership of equals based on mutual respect, shared interests and common responsibilities under the Samoa Agreement, which provides a renewed framework for cooperation.
Its priorities include protecting oceans, tackling illegal fishing and maritime drug trafficking, improving development financing and expanding opportunities for young people to study, train and work abroad.
Renew Europe also urged implementation of the United Nations high-seas treaty and a fairer share of marine resources for coastal communities.
On development financing, the group advocated grants rather than additional debt for the most fragile countries, alongside stronger measures against fraud.
Hilde Vautmans, co-president of the Africa-EU Parliamentary Assembly, said economic cooperation should strengthen local industries, create quality jobs and benefit both sides.
“Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific must be partners in shaping our common economic future, not simply markets or sources of resources,” she said.
The group also backed balanced partnerships on critical raw materials, saying these should help Europe diversify its supply chains and reduce strategic dependence.
For Pacific island states, it called for development assistance focused on clean energy, stronger ports and disaster preparedness. It also said those countries must remain free to choose their international partners as major powers compete for influence.
Renew Europe presented the EU’s €300 billion Global Gateway infrastructure strategy as a means of supporting transparent investment, strengthening local resilience and avoiding debt traps.
The group said parliamentary diplomacy should build trust and hold institutions accountable for their commitments, with cooperation delivering practical benefits for citizens.
This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: EU parliamentary group urges action on trade, climate and crime commitments agreed in Antigua and Barbuda.