Vice President Kamala Harris met today with Prime Minister Andrew Holness of Jamaica. The Vice President underscored that the U.S.-Jamaica partnership is a priority for the Biden-Harris Administration and that this year, the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between our two nations, we are committed to strengthening our ties. The Vice President noted that we will continue to work with Jamaica and our Caribbean neighbors to address regional and global challenges and to support the prosperity and security of the people in our Hemisphere.
The two leaders discussed economic recovery and inclusive growth, and the Vice President was pleased to inform the Prime Minister that the United States, through the Department of Agriculture, is moving forward on $20 million of investment over 5 years to strengthen and expand key industries for Jamaica. The Vice President reiterated that we are working to expand Jamaican exports and productivity, which will help Jamaica and the Caribbean as they recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. They also discussed assistance to Jamaica to address the pandemic, and the Vice President noted the U.S. will continue to provide COVID-19 recovery support to Jamaica. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the United States has donated 618,000 vaccine doses to Jamaica and provided $12.3 million to support its pandemic response.
The leaders discussed the issue of security and human capital. In recognition that crime prevention is a priority for Jamaica, the Vice President informed the Prime Minister that the U.S. will provide $10 million to support violence reduction projects targeting at-risk youth. The assistance will be implemented under the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative.
The leaders also discussed the climate crisis, and areas where we could partner moving forward, specifically on strengthening climate resilience and accelerating the transition to clean energy. The leaders welcomed the close people-to-people ties between our countries, the vibrant Jamaican-American community, and our common values.
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