The Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center will partner with the Office of U.S. Vice President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., and the Council of the Americas to host the Caribbean Energy Security Summit in Washington, DC, on January 26, 2015. Caribbean heads of state will join the Vice President to chart a roadmap for ensuring the Caribbean’s short- and long-term energy sustainability.

The high-level meeting also will involve World Bank President Jim Kim, International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde, and top business and energy officials. Agenda priorities include improved energy governance, greater access to finance, and donor coordination.

“The energy summit is timely and urgent, particularly in the face of large-scale regional concerns with possible Venezuelan cutbacks to its Petrocaribe program,” said Peter Schechter, Director of the Latin America Center.

Jason Marczak, Deputy Director of the Latin America Center added, “The Caribbean is facing a looming deadline to update and convert its infrastructure and to secure the necessary financing to do so. This summit seizes the moment to advance both these urgent priorities.”

The summit will include an energy security roundtable with heads of government followed by public remarks by Vice President Biden and a series of high-level panel discussions. David Goldwyn, Latin America Center Nonresident Senior Energy Fellow and Former US Department of State Special Envoy and Coordinator for International Energy Affairs, will be among the event speakers. The summit is a key component of the Caribbean Energy Security Initiative, which the Latin America Center analyzed in a publication (“Uncertain Energy: The Caribbean’s Gamble with Venezuela”) co-authored by Goldwyn and Cory Gill.

Portions of the summit at the Department of State will be open to pre-credentialed members of the media. All media representatives wishing to cover the Summit and/or to enter the media filing center to apply for a media credential by no later than Tuesday, January 20, 2015. The Accreditation Application Form is available now.  Please email the completed form to summitmedia@state.gov by no later than Tuesday, January 20, 2015.