Jamaica and the Republic of Chile have expanded their areas of cooperation to include sport.
Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, Jamaica’s minister of foreign affairs and foreign trade, making the disclosure during a recent luncheon at the Courtleigh Hotel and Suites in St Andrew to commemorate the 212th anniversary of Chile’s Independence, said the discussions have also commenced with Chile in areas of technical cooperation concerning food product labelling, health and well-being.
Johnson Smith pointed out that, over the years, both countries have collaborated in tangible ways in many areas including defence, air services, diplomatic training and the promotion of Spanish as a foreign language.
“This programme has enabled public sector workers to increase their proficiency in Spanish and has enhanced the prospects for even greater interaction with our Latin American neighbours.”
Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, Jamaica’s minister of foreign affairs and foreign trade
As such, she highlighted that Jamaica has benefitted from three cycles of the Spanish Language Training Programme conducted in 2018, 2019 and 2020.
“This programme has enabled public sector workers to increase their proficiency in Spanish and has enhanced the prospects for even greater interaction with our Latin American neighbours,” she said.
Johnson Smith further lauded the training provided through the Andres Bello Diplomatic Academy of Chile (ACADE), noting that staff members at her ministry “have benefitted greatly” from the specialised instruction.
For her part, Constanza Figueroa, ambassador of the Republic of Chile to Jamaica, who hosted the luncheon is looking forward to the signing of a memorandum of understanding in December for the training of future diplomats at the ACADE.
The ambassador is also looking forward to Jamaica’s participation in the Pan-American and Para Pan-America Games scheduled to take place in Chile next year.
“We will have a large contingent from Jamaica because there are many fans in Chile of the world-class athletes that this country has,” she told the luncheon.
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