Ambassador Lolita Applewhaite, Deputy Secretary-General, CARICOM;
Dr. Dennis Benn, Michael Manley Professor, Public Affairs and Public Policy, UWI, Mona
Mr. Chairman |
Â
|
||
 |
|
Honourable Patrick Manning, Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and Chairman of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community Other Distinguished Heads of State and Government of Member States of the Caribbean Community Honourable Ministers of Government Distinguished Delegates Distinguished Guests Representatives of the Media |
Colleagues,
Like all previous meetings of CARICOM Stakeholders on Sugar, our Third Meeting comes at another critical juncture in the ongoing Sugar Reform process, that is, on the eve of an important meeting of the EU Agricultural Council scheduled to be held on 20-21 February 2006.
That meeting is likely to deliberate on the level of financial support that will be extended to ACP sugar supplying States for their Action Plans on Accompanying Measures.
When you my colleagues conferred on Jamaica the singular privilege of hosting this ceremony, I had no hesitation in selecting as our venue the Mona Campus. There could be no more fitting location for this historic occasion, since this is indeed Caribbean soil. For nearly six decades now, the University of the West Indies has served as the fountainhead for regional learning, research and intellectual analysis. It has become the cradle which imbued in so many of us an unflinching commitment to regionalism.
I welcome the opportunity to speak to you at the official launch of the CARICOM Single Market. This is my first address as Chairman of the Conference of Heads of Government; and I wish to start by saying that Trinidad and Tobago is honoured and especially privileged to be in the Chair at this momentous time. We aim to do our utmost to advance the regional agenda.
His Excellency- the Governor General and Lady Cooke;
Hon Chairman of Conference, the Hon Patrick Manning, Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago;
The Most Honourable Percival James Patterson, O.N, Prime Minister of Jamaica;
His Excellency the President of Suriname and Other Distinguished Heads of Government;
Honourable Ministers of Government;
Leaders of the Parliamentary Opposition and other Members of Parliament;
Members of the Diplomatic Corps;
I welcome the opportunity to speak to you at the official launch of the CARICOM Single Market. This is my first address as Chairman of the Conference of Heads of Government; and I wish to start by saying that Trinidad and Tobago is honoured and especially privileged to be in the Chair at this momentous time. We aim to do our utmost to advance the regional agenda.
I have today, on behalf of the Government and people of Barbados signed the declaration marking the coming in to being of the CARICOM Single Market, very conscious of the extraordinary legacy of which I am proud to be a part.