Sir Ronald Sanders, the Dean of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) corps of Ambassadors in the United States has formally congratulated Congressman Gregory W. Meeks on his election as Chair of the influential Foreign Relations Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Meeks is the first African American to be elected to the Chairmanship. He was elected on December 3 by the members of the Committee in what started out as a three-cornered race. The Congressman has been the Democratic Party representative in the House for New York’s 5th congressional district since 1998.
In his letter, Sanders, who is also the Ambassador of Antigua and Barbuda to the United States, “warmly congratulated” the new Chairman, observing that he “brings considerable experience and knowledge to this important post”.
Recalling that successive Governments of the United States of America have declared the Caribbean to be its ‘third border’, the Ambassador told Chairman Meeks that “Antigua and Barbuda and the United States have enjoyed a mutually beneficial relationship that preceded the independence of both our countries. We intend to remain a strong friend and ally of the United States, contributing to the security of both our nations in all its aspects”.
Assuring Congressman Meeks of “full cooperation”, Ambassador Sanders said that he looked forward to early Caribbean engagement with him after he assumes the Chairmanship of the Foreign Relations Committee in January.
