Barbados

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community and Cuba meet in Bridgetown, Barbados, on 8 December for their second Summit meeting in three years.

This meeting is in consonance with the Havana Declaration which was signed at the first Summit in Havana in 2002, on the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the four CARICOM countries which were independent at that time - Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago - and Cuba.

SMALL, VULNERABLE STATES AT PERIPHERY OF WTO, SAYS HARRIS CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS – The Chairperson of the Sixth WTO Ministerial Conference met with three key Caribbean Trade Ministers in the Region this week, amid dire warnings that a series of high-level meetings in the coming days needed to spur momentum in flagging global trade talks or efforts to put a deal together in time for the year-end Ministerial would be at risk of failure. Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology of Hong Kong, China Mr.

INTERIM WTO AGREEMENT IN DOUBT, SAYS BERNAL CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS – “It is doubtful that agreement on “First Approximations” can be reached by the end of July,” said Director General of the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (RNM) Ambassador Dr. Richard Bernal, reflecting on what could be achieved at next week’s scheduled World Trade Organization (WTO) General Council meeting. That meeting had been slated as a deadline for a set of interim agreements to be arrived at for Doha Round talks, in advance of a key WTO Ministerial in December.

MILESTONE FOR SMALL ECONOMIES IN GLOBAL TRADE TALKS CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS – “The proposal represents a milestone for small economies in global trade talks,” said the Director General of the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (RNM), Ambassador Dr. Richard Bernal, reacting to a communication (WT/COMTD/SE/W/13/Rev.1-An Approach to Framing Responses to the Trade-Related Problems of Small Economies) tabled by twenty-two countries at the World Trade Organization (WTO), in late May.

Chairman, the Hon Fred Mitchell, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas
Colleague Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Caribbean Community
Secretary General of the Caribbean Community
Excellencies
Senior Officials
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen

Let me begin by thanking the Government of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas for their warm hospitality in hosting us for this Eighth Meeting of the COFCOR.

President of the Republic of Suriname Ministers of Foreign Affairs Excellencies Officials Ladies and Gentlemen

This afternoon I have had the honour and the pleasure of signing An Agreement for the Deepening of Bilateral Cooperation between the Government of Barbados and the Government of the Republic of Suriname. It is the hope of the Government and people of Barbados that through this Agreement we can strengthen ties at the official level and equally improve relations at the people to people level between our two societies.

Mr. President
His Excellency The Secretary-General of the Mauritius International Meeting
Distinguished Delegates

I join in thanking the Government and People of Mauritius for hosting this meeting. The quality of the hospitality, for which we extend our gratitude, has certainly served to enhance the prospects for significant achievements by the Meeting. I extend congratulations to you Secretary-General, and to your team for the organizational arrangements which have also facilitated our deliberations.

The tremendous loss of life and destruction caused by the earthquake and tsunami in the Indian Ocean region on 26 December 2004 have shocked the world at large and shattered the lives of many individuals and communities. We extend our heartfelt sympathies to all those affected by this tragedy, especially those who have lost family and friends.