The Premier and home affairs minister are heading a delegation to a Caricom conference attended by regional leaders in St Lucia.

David Burt and Alexa Lightbourne are at the 51st Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community in Gros Islet.

The meeting takes place from July 5 to 8 and is being convened under the chairmanship of Philip J. Pierre, St Lucia’s Prime Minister, who assumed the rotating Caricom chairmanship on July 1.

With the theme “Caricom: From Resilience to Renewal in a Changing World”, attendees will discuss issues affecting Caricom and its development.

The Bermudian delegation will engage directly with regional leaders and senior Caricom officials, particularly with regards to the island's proposed full membership of the community.

A spokeswoman for the Government said as Bermuda “continues to explore its full membership, technical discussions remain ongoing”.

There is an upcoming White Paper on Bermuda moving from associate to full membership.

The spokeswoman added: “[The] Government stressed that no decisions regarding the proposed White Paper have been made and insights gained through this engagement with regional leaders will help inform the Government's ongoing consultation process.”

Mr Burt said the conference provides “an important opportunity for Bermuda to engage with regional leaders on the issues shaping the future of the Caribbean community”.

He added: “Bermuda values its longstanding relationship with Caricom and we look forward to contributing to the conversations that will help shape the region's future.”

Ms Lightbourne said that regional co-operation has never been more important.

She added: “Bermuda welcomes the opportunity to work alongside Caribbean leaders to advance solutions to the challenges and opportunities we share.

“Against the backdrop of Bermuda’s consultative efforts, our participation … will provide additional insights and perspectives from member states and the secretariat, allowing us to incorporate critical regional developments and policy considerations into our analysis.

“Any findings put before the public will be evidence-based, balanced and informed by both local feedback and regional realities.”

The Government said it would keep the public informed as work progresses on the White Paper.