President Thabo Mbeki accompanied by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Public Enterprises, Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma and Jeff Radebe yesterday concluded a three-day state visit to Jamaica with an address to the Caribbean Regional Economic Community, Caricom, in his capacity as chairperson of the African Union.

This was the second time that a South African Head of State was invited to address Caricom, with former President Nelson Mandela having been the first to address the regional economic community.

President Mbeki yesterday held further bilateral discussions with his Caricom Heads of Government counterparts, from the Bahamas, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Haiti, St Kitts and Nevis, Chile and Belize with a view to boosting bilateral political, economic and cultural relations between South Africa and Jamaica on the one hand and South Africa and the Caricom on the other.

During the visit, the President and his delegation paid homage to Marcus Garvey; visited the National Heroes Monument and Mandela Park.

The President was honoured with the Freedom of the City of Kingston before addressing the Faculty of Sciences at the local university.

Mbeki and his delegation will returned to South Africa today. – Sapa.