By Sharee Theobalds on Tuesday, 29 March, 2022 at 03:34 PM

Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley officially opened the Barbados Embassy in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Sunday.

In her opening remarks, she declared that this move is to be a major player on the international stage as the Embassy was needed in the Middle East to broaden Barbados' foreign policy.

The Prime Minister explained that at a time when the country is grappling with domestic and international challenges such as low population growth and insufficient cumulative savings, the Embassy was opened to tackle developing challenges to gain stability and transform the nation.

"In wanting to be fully responsible for our destiny and to be firm craftsmen of our fate, not just strict guardians of our heritage, for us to be able to set out a framework that leverages all that can be leveraged internationally and our ability to be able to nurture and create and produce global citizens with Bajan roots," she lamented.

Prime Minister Mottley also stated that foreign policy was the basis on which the country couldn't go forward and that the voices of Barbados needed to be heard.

"To be a player in the international community without a voice and presence in the Middle East, Africa, Central America, and Asia is really not to be a player in the international forum," she said.

From the dysphoria, Prime Minister Mottley added, of not only Barbados but also the Caribbean, world leaders who want to do business with Barbados will need to have an aggressive foreign policy.

She explained that this is necessary to help the country to stabilize domestic circumstances and make the region stronger when it comes to collaboration on global public issues.