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 Barbados |  France |
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Barbadian-French relations are the bilateral relations between the two countries, Barbados and France. Both countries have established diplomatic relations on May 3, 1968. Barbados is represented in France through its embassy in Brussels (Belgium). France is represented in Barbados through its embassy in Castries (Saint Lucia), led by and an additional honorary consulate in Bridgetown.
The bilateral relations and trade between the two nations remain modest. In 2006, France exported to Barbados mainly: electrical equipment, wood, paper, and cardboard products. Barbados also has trade with France's territories in the Caribbean, such as Guadeloupe and Martinique. The Government of France supports 22 programmes in Barbados. Ties, including trade between Barbados and the French Departments in the Americas, have been steadily increasing. [1] Attention in Barbados is currently being paid towards the creation of the "CARIFORUM French Caribbean Task Force" which will guide the way forward on regularised cooperation with the overseas areas of France. [2]
In 2006 the former Prime Minister Owen Arthur had announced that Barbados would begin to settle its maritime boundaries with France due to Martinique's overlapping maritime boundary with Barbados. [3] Discussions were carried out and successfully settled the maritime boundary between France and Barbados.
In 2007 the Dominican Republic and Caribbean Community bloc known as CARIFORUM began final negotiations for an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the Caribbean and European Union regions. During the negotiations an intense debate developed between Barbadian and French authorities over a provision that would allow certain classes of Caribbean nationals to be granted free movement within the European Union in exchange for the removal of tariffs on European products such as automobiles and mobile phones to the Caribbean. [4]
The Barbadian Prime Minister Owen Arthur said the disagreement threatened to derail talks and stating to the media:
"The Caribbean could clearly not enter any new trade arrangement with anybody and accept a limitation on market access to our cultural workers, our artistes and our entertainers when we give people access to our markets. [ . . . ] "The heads have made a very clear decision that we could not conclude the agreement with Europe at all unless there is a removal on the restriction". [5]
Talks proceeded shortly after and the agreement was agreed upon between the two regions on 16 December 2007. [6]
As a followup of the Economic Partnership Agreement, in May 2009 the European Union (Schengen Area) signed a visa waiver agreement with Barbados and five other nations around the world allowing the citizens of the nations involved to travel visa free for up to three months to each other's territories. [7] The visa-waiver agreement covers both Barbados and France however initially did not cover the French departments of the Caribbean . The Barbados Government indicated though that negotiations would be on-going to reach an agreement with France to allow for visa-free travel to the French Territories and Outer Departments (French: départements d'outre-mer and territoires d'outre-mer) in future. [8]
The Barbadian private sector organisation known as the Private Sector Trade Team (PSTT) has taken an increasingly active interest in encouraging Barbadians businesses to expand their trade with the territories of France under the same EPA agreement. [9]
French citizens in Barbados held the second Bastille Day celebration in 2009. The celebration at Brandon's Beach, Saint Michael was sponsored by the French Honorary Consulate in Barbados, as well as the Mount Gay Rum company. During the event it was outlined that Alliance Française de Bridgetown was actively pursuing several initiatives with the Barbadian Ministry of Education concerning French culture. [10]
In 2009 the Barbados Tourism Authority began placing large emphasis on developing air-links between the French West Indies and Barbados through the sponsorship of charter flights. [11]
In September 2009 the French Frigate "The Ventôse", commanded by Captain Pascal Le Barbier docked in Bridgetown, Barbados following a joint anti-drug campaign by both nations. During the visit the Ambassador of France in Trinidad & Tobago and Barbados, Mr. Michel Trinquier visited with French nationals living in Barbados. [12]
In June 2010 French officials from Martinique's Regional Council and Chamber of Commerce visited Barbados for a three-day dialogue on formal cultural exchanges and joint-collaboration between industries in the two countries. [13]
In July 2011 the French Mayor Jose Toribio of Lamentin, Guadeloupe, toured over a dozen primary schools in Barbados. He met with the Barbadian Minister of Education, Ronald Jones where both counterparts discussed several avenues of cooperation between Barbados and France including a student and teacher exchanges and cooperation in furthering an English–French immersion between Barbados and the French Departments. The leaders also spoke of a desire for a more regional approach to education. [14]
In February 2023 France’s Minister of State for Development, Franchophonie and International Partnerships, Chrysoula Zacharopoulou visited Barbados on an official dialuogue and to foster updated relations.. One month later the Barbados Prime Minister visited with her counterpart in Paris, President Emmanuel Macron to identify common positions regarding upcoming talks on mitigating human global effects on the environment and climate.
In 2024 it is expected Barbadians along with several other nations will be required to have their travel vetted by the EU's 'European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS).
On the occasion of an Anti-drug campaign, the fruit of a collaboration between French and Barbadian authorities, the "Ventôse", French Frigate commanded by Captain Pascal LE BARBIER, docked into Bridgetown (capital of Barbados) from 9th - 12th September, 2009.[ dead link ]
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The Caribbean Community is an intergovernmental organisation that is a political and economic union of 15 member states throughout the Americas and Atlantic Ocean. They have primary objectives to promote economic integration and cooperation among its members, ensure that the benefits of integration are equitably shared, and coordinate foreign policy. The organisation was established in 1973, with its four founding members signing the Treaty of Chaguaramas. Its primary activities involve:
The United States and Barbados have had cordial bilateral relations since Barbados' independence in 1966. The United States has supported the government's efforts to expand the country's economic base and to provide a higher standard of living for its citizens. Barbados is a beneficiary of the U.S. Caribbean Basin Initiative. U.S. assistance is channeled primarily through multilateral agencies such as the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank, as well as the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) office in Bridgetown.
A Barbados passport is a travel document issued to citizens of Barbados, in accordance with Citizenship Act from 1978, the Immigration Act from 1997, and the Barbados Constitution, for the purpose of facilitating international travel. It allows the bearer to travel to foreign countries in accordance with visa requirements, and facilitates the process of securing assistance from Barbados consular officials abroad, if necessary.
This article deals with the diplomatic affairs, foreign policy and international relations of Barbados.
Barbados–Guyana relations refers to the current and historical relationship between Barbados and Guyana. The former maintains non-resident diplomatic representation from Bridgetown, while Guyana which prior had a High Commissioner to Barbados appointed its first resident Consul-General, Michael Brotherson to Bridgetown in January 2012.
Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago formally established diplomatic relations on Barbados' national date of independence, 30 November 1966. Barbados maintains non-resident representation to Port of Spain, and the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago maintains non-resident representation to Bridgetown. Both countries are members of many shared organisations, including the Association of Caribbean States, the Commonwealth of Nations, CARICOM, CARIFORUM, and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States.
Relations between Barbados and China began on 4 September 1967 with Barbados recognizing the People's Republic of China from 30 May 1977, just over one decade after the eastern Caribbean island nation's independence from the United Kingdom.
The historical ties between the governments of Barbados and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK) are long and complex, including settlement, post-colonialism and modern bilateral relations. The two countries are related through common history spanning 339 years (1627–1966). Since the Barbadian date of political independence, these nations continue to share ties through the Commonwealth of Nations. Until becoming a Commonwealth republic in 2021, Barbados also shared the same Head of State, with Queen Elizabeth II as their Monarch.
Foreign relations exist between Australia and Barbados. Neither country has a resident ambassador. The regional Australian High Commissioner to Barbados is accredited from Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago. Barbados is represented in Australia through its High Commission in Ottawa, (Canada). Barbados maintains an honorary consul and a tourist office in Australia. Barbados and Australia established diplomatic relations on 7 January 1974. Both countries are members of the Commonwealth of Nations, and comprised as former parts of the British Empire.
Barbadian–German relations are foreign relations between Barbados and Germany. Barbados is represented in Germany through its embassy in Brussels, (Belgium) and Germany is represented in Barbados from its regional embassy for the Eastern Caribbean in Port of Spain, and an Honorary Consul in Christ Church. Barbados and Germany formally established diplomatic relations on 14 March 1967.
Barbadian–Surinamese relations are diplomatic relations between Barbados and Suriname. Both countries established diplomatic relations on 7 February 1977. Neither country has a resident ambassador. Barbados is accredited to Suriname from Bridgetown. Suriname is represented in Barbados through its embassy in Port of Spain,.
Foreign relations between Barbados and Japan were formally established on 29 August 1967. Japan is accredited to Barbados from its regional Embassy in Port of Spain and an honorary consulate in the parish of Saint George. Barbados is represented in Japan through a non-resident ambassador in Bridgetown. Japan's new Ambassador for Barbados, Mitsuhiko Okada announced a new direct embassy to Barbados would be established located in Bridgetown in February 2016.
Barbados–Brazil relations are the foreign relations between Barbados and Brazil. Barbados and Brazil established diplomatic relations on 26 November 1971. Brazil has a resident Embassy in Hastings, Christ Church; while Barbados, which traditionally accredited its Ambassador in Caracas as its non-resident Ambassador to Brazil, opened an actual embassy in Brasília, Brazil on 27 April 2010. Relations between both nations have steadily increased between both nations, especially during 2010. Barbados and Brazil are members of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States.
The Barbados–France Maritime Delimitation Agreement is a 2009 treaty between Barbados and France which delimits the maritime boundary between Barbados and the French Overseas departments of Guadeloupe and Martinique. The far western point under this agreement consists of the border at a tripoint with Saint Lucia as under the France–Saint Lucia Delimitation Agreement and proceeds in a northeast direction.
A member state of the Caribbean Community is a state that has been specified as a member state within the Treaty of Chaguaramas or any other Caribbean state that is in the opinion of the Conference, able and willing to exercise the rights and assume the obligations of membership in accordance with article 29 of the Treaty of Chaguaramas. Member states are designated as either More economically developed country (MDCs) or Less economically developed countries (LDCs). These designations are not intended to create disparity among member states. The Community was established by mainly English-speaking Caribbean countries, but has since become a multilingual organisation in practice with the addition of Dutch-speaking Suriname in 1995 and French-speaking Haiti in 2002. There are fifteen full members of the Caribbean Community, four of which are founding members.
Barbados–Mexico relations are the diplomatic relations between Barbados and the United Mexican States. Both nations are members of the Association of Caribbean States, Organization of American States and the United Nations.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Lesser Antilles refers to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in the Lesser Antilles. The Lesser Antilles is part of the Caribbean Area and is part of three missions. As of 2022, the LDS Church reported 9,959 members in 34 congregations in the Lesser Antilles.
Barbados-Cuban relations refers to the bilateral relations between Barbados and the Republic of Cuba. Barbados has an embassy in Havana and Cuba has an embassy in Bridgetown. Barbados and the Republic of Cuba are both members of the Association of Caribbean States, Belt and Road Initiative, ECLAC, EU-CARIFORUM, the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific State and CARICOM.
The Commonwealth of Dominica and the Republic of France maintain historical, political, economic, social and cultural relations. Sometimes referred to as "French Dominique", Dominica also shares close ties with its nearest neighbours, the overseas departments of the French Republic, Guadeloupe to the north and Martinique to the south. At present, Dominica is connected to the French islands by an inter-island express ferry. Under the auspice of the European Union both Dominica and France are tied economically via a 2008 concluded multilateral Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) trade-deal representing many Caribbean nations under the name CARIFORUM. They are further members of: The Association of Caribbean States (ACS), the Caribbean Postal Union, the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and the United Nations.
