In the Caribbean we see the future rushing at us as the high, to our eyes, impenetrable wall of the tidal wave bearing many developments under beautiful acronyms such as: WTO, FTAA and CSME: the Caribbean Single Market and Economy.
Your Excellency, The Governor General of the Bahamas,
Prime Minister Ingraham and fellow Heads of Government,
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen:
I am delighted to return to Nassau to enjoy once more the excellent company of my good friend and colleague, Prime Minister Ingraham and the hospitality of his beautiful country, while doing the region's work.
I am especially pleased that on this occasion I have the honour of transferring from my hand to his the mantle of Chairmanship of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community.
Important measures and areas where implementation is critical to the achievement of the establishment of CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) are expected to feature prominently in the four-day deliberations of the leaders of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), slated for Nassau, the Bahamas, 3-6 July 2001.
The Member States of the Caribbean Community have followed with continued interest, the evolution of the political crisis in Haiti. They did so against the background of the Region's continued concern about the political crisis in that country and the impact of that crisis on the Haitian people, whose democratic, social and economic aspirations it holds dear.
The Community Council of Ministers, the second highest decision-making body of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), will this week address a range of issues critical to the upcoming deliberations of the CARICOM Heads of Government Summit scheduled for the Bahamas from 3 - 6 July, 2001.
The status of implementation of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) as well as the establishment of two committees to take the implementation process forward are top agenda items for the Eight Meeting of the Council slated for Thursday, 14 June, 2001 in Kingston, Jamaica.
1. The Caribbean Community has been engaged with Haiti for a long time, as that country is part of the Caribbean sub-region. Haiti has also applied for full membership of the Caribbean Community and Common Market.
2. CARICOM Heads of Government have agreed to the establishment of a CARICOM Office in Haiti to support Haiti´s membership of the Community and I am pleased to inform that that staff will leave Georgetown this week-end to commence operations of that office, which will be housed in the Embassy of The Bahamas in Haiti.
The Joint OAS/CARICOM Mission to Haiti, led by Secretary General Cesar Gaviria and former Dominican Prime Minister, Dame Eugenia Charles, will visit Port-au-Prince from May 29 to 31, 2001.
The Fourth Meeting of the Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR) was held in Georgetown, Guyana on 21-22 May, 2001. The Ministers attending were: the Hon. Hilroy Humphreys, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Business Development, Antigua and Barbuda; the Hon. Billie Miller, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Barbados; the Hon. John Briceño, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources, the Environment and Industry, Belize; the Hon. Osborne Riviere, Minister of Trade, Industry and Marketing, Dominica; the Hon.
Hon. Ministers,
Other Heads of Delegations,
Members of the Diplomatic Corps,
Heads of Regional Institutions,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Media,
Staff of the Secretariat
Honourable Prime Minister,
Honourable Ministers
Excellencies,
Mr. Secretary-General
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am extremely pleased, on behalf of the Government and people of Guyana to extend to you a warm welcome to the opening of this Fourth Meeting of the Council for Foreign and Community Relations.