Hon Fraser met Silicon Valley investors during CARICOM summit in Barbados
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Hon Fraser on his return provided the House of Assembly (HoA) on February 25, 2025, with detailed key discussions and interventions made on behalf of the Virgin Islands, including a forthcoming press conference where he will expand on a crucial statement he delivered in a high-level CARICOM caucus.
Meeting with Silicon Valley investors
One of the most promising developments to emerge from the meeting that was brought to the attention of the legislators was the interest of Silicon Valley investors in the Caribbean, particularly in pioneering artificial intelligence (AI) applications across various sectors.
According to Hon Fraser, these investors are actively seeking early adoption opportunities in the region, presenting a chance for the Virgin Islands to position itself at the forefront of technological advancement.
"Along with other ministers present, I was privileged to meet with investors from Silicon Valley who expressed their readiness to support the Caribbean in the early adoption of new and emerging technologies.”
According to the Deputy Premier, “Their impressive presentation on artificial intelligence highlighted its transformative potential across various sectors that could give the Caribbean a competitive advantage, notably in healthcare, where AI-assisted medical imaging and medical diagnosis will revolutionise radiology."
With this in mind, Hon Fraser sought to stress the importance of pursuing these investment opportunities to bring tangible benefits to the Virgin Islands, telling members, "There is a very real opportunity to follow up with these reputable investors to see where we can attain tangible benefits for the Virgin Islands.”
'Interventions'
During the conference, which was chaired by Barbados’ Prime Minister Mia Amor Motley, Hon Fraser also engaged in critical discussions with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and key representatives from Canada, Saudi Arabia, and international financial institutions.
He reported that these discussions covered pressing regional and global issues, including security concerns in Haiti, global trade conflicts, and climate change.
Poignantly, he disclosed that he had made a direct intervention on behalf of the Virgin Islands during a closed-door CARICOM caucus session—an intervention he intends to elaborate on at a later date.
"I'd like to say that I was able to make an intervention on behalf of the Virgin Islands in the caucus of CARICOM. It's a statement I made, and it was somewhere around after 1 AM, Friday morning, and I'd like to give notice that that statement will be a part of a press conference I'll be meeting at some later date.”
Additionally, the Deputy Premier also used the opportunity to also provide insights into the discussions surrounding the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).
He observed that while the VI is an Associate Member of CARICOM regional economic initiative—which it does not participate in officially—it does in fact have implications for the many residents of the territory with ties to CARICOM nations.
"It was very insightful to understand the direction in which CARICOM is moving in respect to deeper regional integration; Here in the Virgin Islands, we have many residents with origins from CARICOM nations who these developments will affect."
The issue of gun violence and transnational crime was also another major point of concern at the conference, with Hon Fraser acknowledging the Virgin Islands' shared challenges in tackling illicit drug, gun, and human trafficking networks.
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12 Responses to “Hon Fraser met Silicon Valley investors during CARICOM summit in Barbados”
I don’t think it’s right, so for that reason I stopped listening to the morning Braff show. I don’t want to hear from them I want to hear from our people…. And there were very few. I mean very few.
I don’t think I would go in another man country and voice my opinions so boldly. If I'm a card holder I’ll stay in my lane and leave the political fighting to the locals. Drink my tea and mind my business so to speak.
I doubt any of them can even vote! It’s just mind boggling to me. ????
Real Estate Prices will escalate: when some folks show up they are granted various types of status
Our infrastructure which he has be a part of developing and maintaining has faltered, fallen and is in disrepair. Who in their right mind would want to invest in technology based industry here?!?! Cost of living and doing business is high for the returns on investments. Go figure…