(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) A state-of-the-art Fire and Rescue Tender was on Thursday June 12, 2008, presented to the Ministry of Home Affairs by the CARICOM Secretariat as part of a co-operation agreement between the Caribbean Community and the Government of Korea.

The truck, a Daewoo NOVUS, was presented to Minister of Home Affairs, Honourable Clement Rohee by the, His Excellency Edwin W. Carrington, CARICOM Secretary-General. at the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) Ogle Airport unit, the beneficiary of the equipment.

Your Excellency Ricardo Villanueva Hallal, Plenipotentiary Representative of the United Mexican States to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM
Members of Staff of the CARICOM Secretariat
Other Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen
Representatives of the Media.

On behalf of His Excellency Edwin W. Carrington, CARICOM Secretary-General, I welcome you to the Caribbean Community Secretariat.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The critical role of education in the development of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) will be among the main issues participants of the New York Conference on the Caribbean will consider when they meet in an open session in Brooklyn, New York, USA, next week.

The New York Conference on the Caribbean, which coincides with events to mark Caribbean-American Heritage Month in the United States, is being held 19-20 June 2008.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Progress has been made in efforts to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean, notably the reduction in mother-to child transmission in all countries and the significant increase in persons accessing anti-retroviral treatment. Notwithstanding, AIDS remain the leading cause of death among 25-44 year; and prevalence is high among the most vulnerable populations, says a UNAIDS progress report on the Caribbean.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat in collaboration with the Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU) and the Association of Caribbean Media Workers is facilitating an interactive two-day workshop on the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) for approximately thirty broadcasters from the Region.

The sessions are aimed at demystifying the concepts of regional integration and explaining the approaches of how to make a living within the CSME.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Two commercial banks which lent their support to the just-concluded Regional Agriculture Investment Forum were Tuesday 10 June 2008 lauded for their contribution toward making the event a success.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) H.E. Edwin Carrington, Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has offered congratulations to athlete Usain Bolt and has hailed his achievement as an inspiration to young athletes everywhere and in the Caribbean in particular.

Mr. Bolt, a Jamaican, is now the fastest man on earth after winning the 100-metre event on 31 May at the Icahn Stadium in New York. His performance, the Secretary-General said, was “awesome and breath-taking”.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Governments in the Region could not alone invest in agriculture; the private sector needed to get on board, Mr. James Moss-Solomon, Head of the Task Force of the CARICOM Agriculture Investment Forum said.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Greater awareness by investors of the opportunities in the agriculture sector, and the ability of investors and entrepreneurs to interact face to face have been hailed as two of the important outcomes of the CARICOM Agriculture Investment Forum.