(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) “The time has come for CARICOM to overhaul and redefine its foreign policy positions and postures… to engage new and emerging global partners…”

This is the decisive message from the incoming chairman of the Caribbean Community, Saint Lucia’s Prime Minister, Dr the Hon. Kenney Anthony as he addressed the opening ceremony of the 33rd Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government in Saint Lucia on Wednesday.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, said on Wednesday that the time was ripe for more integration.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) CARICOM Chairman, Dr the Hon. Kenny Anthony has called for an overhaul of systems, processes and constructs within the Caribbean Community, even while emphasizing the need to preserve our mature democracies.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Cleveland Forde of Guyana and Tonya Nero of Trinidad and Tobago copped the male and female titles at the 8th CARICOM 10k event run in Saint Lucia on Sunday 1 July.

Saint Lucia’s Minister of Sport and Youth Development, the Honourable Shawn Edwards in congratulating the winners and the participants at the prize giving ceremony after the race, said that he would work with everyone concerned to make the CARICOM 10k a major event on the regional sporting calendar.

(Caribbean Community Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, Dr the Honourable Kenny D Anthony will preside over his first meeting of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) on Wednesday 4 July since assuming the Chair of CARICOM on Sunday 1 July. Dr Anthony replaces the President of Suriname, His Excellency Desire Bouterse.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Foreign Policy Co-ordination in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is high on the agenda of the 33rd Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government beginning on Wednesday 4 July in Saint Lucia. The Leaders will be examining the thrust of the Community’s Foreign Policy approach given the on-going changes in global political and economic circumstances.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Ambassador Irwin LaRocque has been assured of Jamaica’s support to the integration movement by Prime Minister the Most Honourable Portia Simpson-Miller and Opposition Leader the Honourable Andrew Holness.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) I would like to thank the organisers of this event for inviting me to share thoughts, ideas and information with you. I welcome this opportunity to have this dialogue with you today as this kind of forum has been a feature of my visits throughout the Community since assuming office last August. It is not my intention to deliver a speech to you this morning. Instead I look forward to the interaction with you to receive your views about CARICOM and your ideas about advancing the integration process.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) “To achieve competitiveness, the Region must address its constraints head on.”

This opinion was expressed on Friday, by the CARICOM Secretariat’s Private Sector Facilitation Specialist, Ms Leela Ramoutar, during the opening of a regional consultation coordinated by the Caribbean Centre for Competitiveness (CCfC).