Thank you Dr Carrington, our Secretary General of CARICOM
Your Excellency the Deputy Governor General of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Mr. Denniston Bobb and Mrs. Bobb
Colleague Heads of State and Government
Distinguished Ministers of the Government of St Vincent and the Grenadines
Other CARICOM Ministers
Leader of the Opposition, Hon Dr Ralph Gonsalves of St Vincent and the Grenadines and other distinguished Members of Parliament
Members of the Diplomatic Corps
Members of the Judiciary and the Clergy

Ladies and Gentlemen, I am indeed honoured to have the privilege to address my Fellow Heads in the idyllic isle of Canouan, a special part of St Vincent and the Grenadines.

His Excellency the Deputy Governor General, Mr. Denniston Bobb
Secretary General of CARICOM, Dr. Edwin Carrington
Outgoing Chairman of CARICOM, Dr. Denzil Douglas
Colleague Heads of Government
His Excellency Dr. Cesar Gavaria - Secretary General of the Organisation of American State
His Excellency the Hon. Don Mc Kinnon, Secretary General of the Commonwealth
Your Lordship the Judge
Honourable Ministers
Hon. Leader of the Opposition
Hon. Members of Parliament
Sir Shridath and Sir Alister of the Regional Negotiating Machinery

The Deputy Governor- General of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, His Excellency Mr. Denniston Bobb and Mrs. Bobb
The Rt. Hon. Sir James Mitchell, Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Chairman of the Caribbean Community
Their Excellencies the Presidents of Guyana, Suriname and Haiti
The Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas, Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis and Outgoing Chairman of the Caribbean Community
Other Distinguished Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community

On-going discussions to promote the advancement of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), and development issues of the Community, as well as matters associated with the territorial integrity of Member States, CARIFESTA Vll and economic threats to the Region are some of the major items listed for discussion at the upcoming Meeting of Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Heads of Government starting this weekend.

The Twenty-first Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government is scheduled for Canouan, St Vincent and the Grenadines, from 2-5 July, 2000.

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) continues to benefit from collaborative efforts with the Government of Mexico through that country's Maritime Education Trust Fund (FIDENA). For this year, one CARICOM student is about to graduate from the institution which has been ratified by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) as reputable, while another has begun studies.

The Fifth Special Meeting of the Legal Affairs Committee comprising the Hon. Ministers responsible for Legal Affairs and Attorneys-General of the Caribbean Community was convened at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Kingston, Jamaica from 19-21 June 2000. The welcome address was delivered by the Hon. David A.C. Simmons, QC, MP, Attorney-General and Minister of Home Affairs, Barbados, substantive chairman of the Legal Affairs Committee. Consonant with existing practice, the Hon. A.J.

The Sixth Meeting of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Council of Ministers, the second highest Organ of the Community, concluded with a "highly successful" retreat at the luxurious Royal Westmoreland Golf Club on Barbados' west coast on 20^th June, 2000.

Council Chairman, St. Kitts and Nevis Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of CARICOM Affairs, Mr. Sam Condor, told a press briefing shortly after the retreat that delegates undertook a comprehensive review of the role of the Council in the discharge of its responsibilities.