In an official ceremony held in Bridgetown on Wednesday, Barbados’ Governor Sandra Mason conferred the “Order of Freedom” award to Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta for promoting global trade and strengthening cooperation between African and Caribbean countries.

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“This honor is a great sign of the growing collaboration between Kenya and Barbados,” Kenyatta stated, adding that he will continue fighting so that all people of African descent unite to defend their rights.

“This approach would help to overcome our countries’ emerging challenges,” he stressed, recalling that the states of the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) benefited from large-scale purchases of COVID-19 vaccines with its inclusion in the African Medical Supply Platform (AMSP).

On Wednesday, Kenyan and Barbadian representatives also signed three bilateral agreements for cooperation in aviation, environmental conservation, trade, and investment.

In addition, they announced that direct air and sea links would be established soon between the two countries to enable the free movement of people, goods, and services.

“This policy will allow entrepreneurs to re-engage with Africa without having to wait for visas from third parties,” Kenyatta assured, adding that this interaction will encourage Caribbean companies and governments to strengthen trade with the African Union.

“Our peoples can turn the good relations between the two countries into profitable and meaningful relationships,” Kenyatta stated and urged Mason to strengthen the cultural and educational exchange between the two countries.