Press Releases

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Leaders of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) meeting in Jamaica said the 15-member grouping needed to embrace a new way of thinking, and focus on people-centred development and poverty alleviation.

Prime Ministers underscored those positions when they addressed the opening ceremony of the Joint Meeting of the Prime Ministerial Sub-Committees on External Trade Negotiations and the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Montego Bay, Jamaica, on 5 February 2007.

Colleague Prime Ministers, Ministers of Trade,  Senior Officials and Members of the CARICOM Secretariat and the CARICOM Regional Negotiating Machinery Staff, I welcome you warmly to Montego Bay

The Most Honourable Portia Simpson-Miller, Prime Minister of Jamaica and Chairman of the Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee on External Trade Negotiations
The Rt. Honourable Owen Arthur, Prime Minister of Barbados and Chairman of the Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee on the CSME
The Honourable Billie Miller, Senior Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Barbados and Other Distinguished Ministers
Other Heads of Delegations
Director-General of the CRNM
Senior Officials of Member Governments and of Regional Organisations
Members of the Media

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Two Prime Ministerial sub-committees of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) meet in Jamaica 5-6 February, to forge strategic positions on the key issues of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) and External Trade Relations.

Jamaica Prime Minister, The Most Hon, Portia Simpson-Miller will host the Joint Meetings at the Ritz Carlton Resort and Golf Club in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

The Most Honourable Portia Simpson-Miller, Prime Minister of Jamaica and Chairman of the Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee on External Trade Negotiations
The Rt. Honourable Owen Arthur, Prime Minister of Barbados and Chairman of the Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee on the CSME
The Honourable Billie Miller, Senior Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Barbados and Other Distinguished Ministers
Other Heads of Delegations
Director-General of the CRNM
Senior Officials of Member Governments and of Regional Organisations
Members of the Media

Colleague Prime Ministers
Heads of Delegations
Ministers of Trade
CARICOM Secretary General
Senior Officials and Members of the CARICOM Secretariat
Ambassador Bernal and Members of the Regional Negotiating Machinery
Delegates
Members of the media

I welcome you warmly to Montego Bay - the complete resort.

The Most Honourable Portia Simpson-Miller, Prime Minister of Jamaica and Chairman of the Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee on External Trade Negotiations
The Rt. Honourable Owen Arthur, Prime Minister of Barbados and Chairman of the Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee on the CSME
The Honourable Billie Miller, Senior Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Barbados and Other Distinguished Ministers
Other Heads of Delegations
Director-General of the CRNM
Senior Officials of Member Governments and of Regional Organisations
Members of the Media

Colleague Prime Ministers
Heads of Delegations
Ministers of Trade
CARICOM Secretary General
Senior Officials and Members of the CARICOM Secretariat
Ambassador Bernal and Members of the Regional Negotiating Machinery
Delegates
Members of the media

I welcome you warmly to Montego Bay - the complete resort.

In a challenge to the 20th Special Meeting of the CARICOM Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED), Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Belize, the Hon, Eamon Courtenay asserted that “Current trends in trade relations demand a direct response rather than subtlety”. Given this view, he has charged the meeting now underway in Montego Bay, Jamaica, to engage in frank political dialogue and to act decisively.

It is always a pleasure to welcome you, my colleague Ministers, officials and staff of the CARICOM Secretariat to Jamaica. We are meeting this time in the second city of Montego Bay and I urge you to take some time to explore – this is a rapidly growing city and you will, no doubt, see the very real impact of the growth in trade in services in full flight – new hotels are opening up, excellent restaurants and new business opportunities abound. For us, in a very practical way, the tourism sector continues to contribute in a robust way to the national economy.