Costa Rica, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic are true partners with whom Germany has had close political and economic links for many years. Germany is increasingly turning towards Latin America and the Caribbean – as demonstrated by the Federal President’s and Federal Foreign Minister’s recent trips.

We want to deepen political alliances and expand economic ties in the region. Latin America and the Caribbean is a greater region comprising more than 30 states, most of which are committed to democracy and the rule of law, to the market economy and the welfare state, to a multilateral, values-based international order. It is very much in our own interest to comprehensively expand our relations with them. I would like to use my trip to emphasise how closely and how well we work together in a spirit of partnership, and how our trade relations have grown in recent years.

It is true both for Germany and for the Caribbean states that we are better together. My trip will focus on how we can work together even more closely – bilaterally, regionally and multilaterally. In the Dominican Republic, for example, we will hold in‑depth talks on the situation in neighbouring Haiti and the multilateral Gang Suppression Force set up by the United Nations in late 2025. Germany has long supported the international community’s efforts in Haiti. We will also discuss the economic cooperation that takes place within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). And we will promote the EU’s Global Gateway connectivity initiative, which is creating infrastructure partnerships in Latin America and the Caribbean as elsewhere and thus contributing to the resilience of supply chains. Furthermore, in Santo Domingo I will have the honour of presenting the Unidas Prize on behalf of the women’s network set up in 2019 by Germany together with Latin American partners.

We were deeply shocked by the devastating double earthquake in Venezuela on Wednesday. It is a humanitarian disaster, and the international community as well as we in Germany are offering solidarity and support. This, too, is a message to our partners in the region.

Germany needs reliable partnerships around the world now more than ever. In the face of far-reaching geopolitical change, we must make our partnerships more resilient. With this trip, I would like to consolidate our cooperation in Central America and the Caribbean and align it with the new dynamics and global political changes that we are seeing.