Above: Roseau (CJ Photo)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Dominica and China have finalized a pair of agreements covering $18 million in financial assistance.

Last Friday, Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit signed the agreements, which will cover community-based projects and the construction of the new Princess Margaret Hospital.

The agreements come after China President Xi Jinping announced a wave of funding for Caribbean countries during a visit to Trinidad last month.

The first of the two agreements will be for approximately $8.14 million, according to Skerrit. That sum will cover the community-based projects.

In the next few days, a delegation will be visiting Dominica to put forward designs for the hospital project, Skerrit said.

“This assistance will no doubt trigger that process,” he said.

Qui Qei, China’s Charge D’affaires in Dominica, signed on behalf of the Chinese government.

“This assistance is being granted to us by China at a very difficult time for all of us in the world including China, but because of the extraordinary friendship between the two countries,” Skerrit said. “China continues to be a very dear and sincere friend to the Government and people of Dominica and we are indeed very grateful for this.”