London hosted the inaugural ministerial Council of the United Kingdom Central America Association (UK-CAAA), focusing on cooperation and trade discussions.
On October 16 and 26, Central American Foreign Ministers, Trade Ministers, and Ambassadors convened to deliberate on the three pillars of the UK-CAAA Agreement—Political Dialogue, Cooperation, and Trade. They also celebrated advancements in implementing the Agreement during a Plenary session.
Costa Rican, Salvadoran, Guatemalan, Honduran, Nicaraguan, and Panamanian delegates joined David Rutley, the Minister from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and Nigel Huddleston, the Minister from the Department of Business and Trade.
David Rutley, the Minister for the Americas, led the discussions on political and cooperative matters—key components of the 2019 Agreement. The talks spanned regional integration, climate action, environmental concerns, human rights, and migration challenges. Participants resolved to form a political dialogue sub-committee under the Agreement to foster further advancements.
Nigel Huddleston, the UK’s Minister for Trade, engaged with Central American trade ministers to explore opportunities to boost trade among UK-CAAA members.
A reception at Lancaster House marked the end of the Council’s first day on October 16, attended by MPs of the Central America all-party parliamentary group and prominent figures from the business and academic sectors specializing in Central American issues.
The Council members convene every four years, complemented by an annual meeting of an official-level Committee.UK Hosts First UK-CAAA Ministerial Council in London to Forge Stronger Ties with Central America