Governor-General His Excellency the Most Hon. Professor Sir Kenneth Hall, ON, GCMG, OJ expressed his gratitude to Jamaica’s diplomatic partners for the support provided in areas such as crime and conflict prevention, energy security and diversification, and trade and investment.
His Excellency The Governor-General was addressing the annual dinner for the Diplomatic Corps at King’s House on Thursday January 31, 2008. The dinner at King’s House was one event in a series of activities for Diplomatic Week (January 28 – February 01).
His Excellency also told the diplomats that Jamaica would continue to “look to you to support our efforts to help convince the international community and the donor community that the plight of highly indebted middle income countries, such as Jamaica, needs to be urgently addressed.”
He sated that Jamaica was aware that the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, and some of our national goals and objectives, such as the reduction in poverty, combating contagious diseases and pandemic threats, and safeguarding the environment, “can only be achieved with the support of our bilateral and multilateral partners.”
The Governor-General said that Jamaica at this time enjoys diplomatic relations with 146 countries, and that these relationships have their foundation in “our common adherence to the principles of mutual respect and shared ideals that are embodied on the system and processes of multilateralism.”
His Excellency The Governor-General added that he was convinced that “the friendly and cooperative spirit that characterises our relationship will serve to create a more secure and prosperous future for the generations that follow.”
The Governor-General in his address extended a special welcome to the six new ambassadors and one high commissioner who presented their letters of credence to Jamaica at the start of Diplomatic Week.
Diplomatic Week, which is arranged by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, facilitates information sharing and networking among Government officials and diplomats. The activities staged for the Week are aimed at providing the diplomats with the latest perspective on the current policies and programmes of the Government of Jamaica, especially as they relate to the major economic and social elements of our domestic agenda.