The Premier, the Hon. David Burt, JP, MP, is attending the 50th Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), this week, which is scheduled to take place in St. Kitts and Nevis from February 24 - 27.
This milestone gathering will be the first held under the chairmanship of Dr. the Hon. Terrance Drew, Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis.
During this visit, the Premier Burt will be accompanied by the Minister of Home Affairs, the Hon. Alexa Lightbourne, JP, MP, as Bermuda continues to deepen its engagement with regional partners.
The 50th Heads of Government Meeting is expected to address several priority areas for the region, including enhanced regional cooperation, security coordination, economic diversification, and the strengthening of intra‑regional trade. Bermuda’s ongoing process toward full CARICOM membership will also be a key topic of discussion.
Premier Burt underscored the importance of Bermuda’s participation at this week’s meeting, saying, “Bermuda’s relationship with CARICOM is rooted in shared values, shared challenges, and shared opportunities. This meeting provides an important platform to advance our interests, strengthen regional partnerships, and contribute meaningfully to the collective progress of the Caribbean community. I look forward to productive discussions under the leadership of Prime Minister Drew as we work together to build a more secure, resilient, and prosperous region.”
Bermuda currently holds Associate Member status within CARICOM and continues to work closely with CARICOM institutions and member states as part of its commitment to deeper regional collaboration.
The Premier and Minister Lightbourne will participate in a full agenda of meetings while in St. Kitts and Nevis, as well conduct a series bilateral engagements with Overseas Territories Leaders during the conference.
Prior to travelling to St. Kitts and Nevis, Premier Burt will also attend NEARCON 2026 in San Francisco, where he was invited to participate as a speaker and lead a session titled: “The 'Bermuda Triangle' Approach to Innovation and AI as the Next Regulatory Frontier.”
The session explores how Bermuda's model of close collaboration between government, regulator, and industry has positioned the island as a leading jurisdiction for digital finance, and how that same approach can be applied to emerging regulatory frameworks for artificial intelligence in financial services.
While in San Francisco the Premier will also be meeting with executives from a number of Digital Asset and AI companies.
During this time, Deputy Premier the Hon. Zane DeSilva will be Acting Premier and Junior Minister of Finance, Hon. Wayne Furbert, JP, will be Acting Minister of Finance.
Premier Burt returns on Friday February 27, and will join MPs in the House of Assembly to close out the General Economic Debate.