(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) It is a great pleasure and privilege for me to be here with all of you at the Closing Ceremony of the Eleventh Caribbean Festival of Arts and to deliver these brief remarks on behalf of the Secretary General of the Caribbean Community, H.E Mr. Irwin LaRocque.  This has been a very vibrant and exciting ten days of sharing and showcasing the many dimensions of our rich Caribbean culture, and that of our many visiting contingents of artists from UNASUR and other friends from outside our region.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The Director-General of the Caribbean Forum of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (CARIFORUM), Mr Percival Marie, is set to embark on his first official visit to Grenada since that country assumed the Chairmanship of CARIFORUM, with effect from 1 July 2013.

The Chair of CARIFORUM plays a leadership role in relation to intra-CARIFORUM matters, as well as the CARIFORUM-European Union (EU) Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) and its institutional arrangements.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana)  Two of the most innovative aspects of CARIFESTA were declared open on Monday in Paramaribo, Suriname with the Caribbean Market Place for the Arts and the Youth Village.

A special and unique celebration of Caribbean culture begins here and now with the Opening Ceremony of this Eleventh commemoration of CARIFESTA. We have come from all over the Caribbean Community and are joined by our family and many friends from Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa, to experience this magical evening and the festivities that will unfold in the next 10 days in Suriname, our wonderful host country.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana)     The contribution of women to agriculture and agribusiness, and by extension, to national and regional development was hailed on Tuesday as a Women’s Forum got underway at the Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA) 2013 in Georgetown, Guyana.