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New U.S. Ambassador to Jamaica Seeks to Strengthen the Relationship

U.S. Ambassador Designate to Jamaica, Donald R. Tapia and the Jamaican Ambassador, Audrey Marks
U.S.  Ambassador Designate to Jamaica, Donald R. Tapia has the rapt attention of the Jamaican Ambassador, Audrey Marks, as he engaged her in discussion during a courtesy visit he paid on her at the embassy in Washington, D.C. on Monday. Photo Credit Derrick Scott.
U.S. Ambassador to Jamaica, Donald R. Tapia Identifies Strengthened Relations in Trade, Investment, and Education as Priorities

by Derrick Scott

Washington, D.C. – The new United States Ambassador to Jamaica, Ambassador Designate Donald R. Tapia says he is looking forward to helping to further strengthen the relationship between Jamaica and the United States.

Ambassador Designate Donald R. Tapia said, “From day one, the United States and Jamaica have had a strong relationship. We have a friendship that we have built on for many years. One thing that is strong is the freedom that both countries enjoy.”

The Ambassador made these remarks during a courtesy call on his Jamaica counterpart, Her Excellency Audrey P. Marks, at the Jamaican Embassy in Washington, D.C. on Monday (August 19th).

He told the Jamaican Ambassador, “I am looking to deepen the relationship between both countries. I am looking to increase trade; to work alongside your government and the Donald Trump administration to look at how we can address the problem of drugs, guns and human trafficking. These are major problems for both countries and we have to find a way to tackle them. “I will use my good offices to work with the US government to see how we can come up with solutions to address this major problem,” he stated.

Ambassador Tapia noted that he would be working on the full implementation of the US Jamaica Energy cooperation agreement signed last November 2018 by Prime Minister Andrew Holness and US Secretary of Treasury Steve Mnuchin.

He also shared that his priority will on education projects. “I have advised my Embassy staff that I would like to visit all the high schools in Jamaica to speak to the students and to let them know the importance of education.

“Education is very important to the Jamaican youth, we have to give them the hope, because with without hope even in the United States there is no future.” He went on to emphasize how Jamaica was suffering from a brain drain, and “we have to find ways and means to halt that trend, and one of the ways is through education.”  He noted his interest in bringing technical skills into Jamaica as well as more US companies “as a way of helping to give more employment and to stop the brain drain.”

The new US ambassador, an Arizona businessman, is a former CEO of ESSCO Wholesale Electric.  He will assume duties at the end of the month. He will succeed Luis Moreno.

For her part, Ambassador Marks congratulated the American Ambassador designate on his diplomatic assignment. She thanked him for signaling his strong interest is collaborating with Jamaica on several key issues related to the island’s development.

South Florida Caribbean News

The SFLCN.com Team provides news and information for the Caribbean-American community in South Florida and beyond.

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