President Bharrat Jagdeo, Chairman of CARICOM Heads of Government
Secretary General
Honourable Ministers
Special Dignitaries
Members of the Diplomatic Corps
Heads of International and Regional Organizations
Esteemed Ladies and Gentlemen
Words alone can never convey my profound sense of joy and gratitude on the conferment at today’s opening ceremony of the OCC.
Salutations
I welcome you all to this Thirtieth Meeting of CARICOM Heads of Government.
To my distinguished colleagues, their delegations and special invitees, I extend warmest greetings and best wishes for a pleasant and productive stay.
Special thanks are due to Prime Minister Barrow for hosting us in Belize in March and for his effective stewardship as Chairman of the Conference of Heads of Government over the past six months.
(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) CARICOM Leaders, on Thursday, were on one accord regarding the future of regional integration and subsequently the Community, as they opened the 30th Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government in Georgetown, Guyana.
Your Excellency, Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo, President of Guyana
Distinguished Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community
Distinguished Secretary General of the Caribbean Community
The Most Honourable P. J. Patterson, Former Prime Minister of Jamaica
Ministers of Government of Guyana
Ministers of other CARICOM Governments
Honourable Members of the Judiciary
Distinguished Delegations from CARICOM Member States and from Regional and International organizations;
Reverend Members of the Clergy
Members of the Diplomatic Corps
President Bharrat Jagdeo of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana and Incoming Chairman of the Caribbean Community
Colleague Heads of State and Government of CARICOM
Secretary General of CARICOM
Ministers of Government and Members of Parliament
Specially invited Guests and Members of the Diplomatic Corps
Distinguished Delegates
Representatives of the media
Ladies and Gentlemen
Your Excellency, Bharrat Jagdeo, President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana and Chairman of the Conference
Other Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community
Your Excellency Edwin Carrington, Secretary General of the Caribbean Community
Specially invited guest, Your Excellency, Leonel Fernández, President of the Dominican Republic
Specially invited guest, Your Excellency Karmalesh Sharma, Secretary General of the Commonwealth
(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Against the backdrop of reported alarming growth in the mis-use of illegal substance such as marijuana, alcohol, cocaine and alcohol, most obvious among teenagers, in Belize, the National Drug Abuse Control Council (NDAAC) of Belize has decided to take matters in its hands to strengthen that country’s capacity to fight drug abuse and also to provide rehabilitation facilities with standards of care for drug users in a bid to reduce the demand for illicit drugs.
(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The Honourable David Thompson, Prime Minister of Barbados, said on Wednesday that the Caribbean was faced with global economic convulsions of unprecedented proportions, which had reinforced convictions that regional integration “is the last best hope” for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Geater Georgetown, Guyana) The following is a Statement issued by the Caribbean Community on the situation in Honduras.
The Caribbean Community views with grave concern the developments in Honduras which led to the removal by a military intervention of the democratically elected Head of State of the Republic of Honduras, President Manuel Zelaya, and to his expulsion to Costa Rica.