Press Releases

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown) The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (UK), Mr Gordon Brown has agreed to convey to the European Union (EU) certain critical concerns of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) regarding the ongoing Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) negotiations.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The critical role of statistics in advancing the Region’s development through the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) was examined at a series of meetings held recently in Paramaribo, Suriname.

The Thirty-Second Meeting of the Standing Committee of Caribbean Statisticians (SCCS) and the 15th Meeting of the Regional Census Coordinating Committee (RCCC) were both held at the Hotel Krasnapolsky in Paramaribo.

The Twenty-Fourth Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) of CARICOM and the Fourth Meeting of the CARIFORUM (CARICOM and Dominican Republic) Council of Ministers – External Trade Negotiations, met in consecutive sessions on 15 November 2007 in Guyana.

The meetings were presided over by Minister of Foreign Trade and International Cooperation, Guyana, Dr. Henry Jeffrey.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) A consortium of donors to provide resources to strengthen coordination among international agencies with regard to the 2010 Round of Censuses in the Region, is to be established in 2008. A proposal to this effect was presented by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to the 15th Meeting of the Regional Census Coordinating Committee (RCCC) held recently in Paramaribo, Suriname.

Mr. Chairman
His Excellency President Bharrat Jagdeo
Prime Minister the Hon. Samuel Hinds
Ministers of Government
Members of Parliament
Members of the Diplomatic Corps
Governor of the Bank of Guyana Lawrence Williams
The Chairman and Executive Members of the CAIB
Distinguished Delegates
Other Distinguished Guests
Representatives of the Media
Ladies and Gentlemen

Mr. Chairman, H. E. Mr. Thabo Mbeki, President of the Republic of South Africa, H.E. Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Africa, H.E. Marko Mausiku, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Namibia, H.E. Professor Oumar Konare, Chairman of the African Union Commission, Ambassador Dudley Thompson, Renowned Caribbean Pan-Africanist, Distinguished Ministers of the African Union and the Caribbean Community, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, Members of the Media,

Good Afternoon.

Mr. Chairman, H. E. Mr. Thabo Mbeki, President of the Republic of South Africa, H.E. Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Africa, H.E. Marko Mausiku, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Namibia, H.E. Professor Oumar Konare, Chairman of the African Union Commission, Ambassador Dudley Thompson, Renowned Caribbean Pan-Africanist, Distinguished Ministers of the African Union and the Caribbean Community, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, Members of the Media,

Good Afternoon.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana ) A high-level team from the Pan Caribbean Partnership Against HIV/AIDS (PANCAP) will visit the British Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) of Montserrat, Anguilla and The British Virgin Islands, during the period 19-23 November 2007.

The team’s mission is to facilitate an exchange of information between Caribbean political leaders and technical experts from key PANCAP institutions and high-level officials in the OCTs. It will also identify important areas for the increased involvement of OCTs in PANCAP.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The operation of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) and the imminent establishment of the Competition Commission are among key agenda items of the Twenty-Fourth Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED).