Barbados

1. The Fifth UK-Caribbean Forum, hosted by the Government of Barbados, took place in Bridgetown on 26-28 April 2006. The Forum was co-chaired on the Caribbean side by the Hon. Elvin Nimrod, MP, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Grenada and current Chair of the CARICOM Council for Foreign and Community Relations, and on the UK side by the Rt. Hon. Jack Straw, MP, Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS – The Director-General of the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (RNM) Ambassador Dr. Richard Bernal met yesterday afternoon with Jamaica’s new Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Hon. Anthony Hylton. Ambassador Bernal described this first official meeting, that took place at the office of the Minister in Kingston, as “very productive”. He said, “our exchange of views on the status of external trade negotiations in which CARICOM and CARIFORUM are involved highlighted the Region’s trade priorities and approach.

CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS – Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Trade Ministers are to meet with United States Trade Representative Rob Portman in Washington, D.C., April 12. In addition to Member State delegations, the CARICOM Secretary-General H.E. Edwin Carrington and the Director-General of the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (RNM) Ambassador Dr. Richard Bernal will also participate in the meeting.

CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS – Speaking to members of the Press over the weekend ahead of the Fifth Meeting of CARIFORUM-EU Principle Negotiators taking place here in Barbados today and tomorrow, Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (RNM) Director General Ambassador Dr. Richard Bernal reaffirmed the RNM’s commitment to interfacing with civil society. “We welcome regular interaction with non-state actors,” he said, emphasizing that “the RNM’s outreach activities are geared at engaging a broad cross-section of stakeholders, to the extent that resources allow.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Jamaica, on Tuesday at the Second Special Meeting of the Council for Finance and Planning (COFAP), joined Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago in making an initial pledge to the regional Development Fund. Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago had made initial pledges last December at the First Special Meeting of COFAP.

CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS – The Sixth World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial got underway today, amidst mounting concern over the prospects for a successful outcome for the six-day meeting in Hong Kong.  At issue is the impasse over concessions in Agriculture, the principle stumbling block for progress in negotiations to date.

WE, the Heads of State and Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and of the Republic of Cuba (hereinafter collectively called the Parties), meeting in Bridgetown, Barbados, on 8 December 2005 on the occasion of the Second CARICOM-Cuba Summit;