Hon. Julian Hunte, President of the United Nations General Assembly, and Chair of COTED;
Ministers of Foreign Trade and other Heads of Delegations;
Dr. Edwin Carrington, Secretary General of the Caribbean Community;
Amb. Richard Bernal, Director General, Regional Negotiating Machinery;
Members of the Diplomatic Corps;
Delegates and Friends,
To visiting delegates I wish you a very warm welcome to Belize!
Mr. Secretary-General, it is an honor for me to be here today to present my credentials as United States Plenipotentiary Representative to the Caribbean Community. The United States enjoys good relations with the countries of the Caribbean Community, so it is appropriate that the U.S. Government have direct representation with the CARICOM Secretariat.
The countries of CARICOM collectively constitute the third border of the United States, and they share strong cultural and historic ties with the U.S.
It is with great pleasure that I receive this letter from Secretary of State Colin Powell, designating you as Plenipotentiary Representative of the United States of America to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
Mr. Secretary-General, it is an honor for me to be here today to present my credentials as United States Plenipotentiary Representative to the Caribbean Community. The United States enjoys good relations with the countries of the Caribbean Community, so it is appropriate that the U.S. Government have direct representation with the CARICOM Secretariat.
Mr. Chairman,
Elected Officials of New York State and New York City,
Distinguished Members of the Diplomatic and Consular Corps,
The Hon. Sylvia Radix,
Dr. Edison Jackson,
Assistant Secretary-General of the CARICOM Secretariat,
Specially Invited Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We share a world that is caught up in dramatic change, much of which have to do with the supplanting of long standing social and economic systems and the erosion and re-definition of time honoured relations.
Mr. Chairman,
Colleague Heads of State and Government,
Honourable Ministers,
Secretary General of CARICOM,
Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Introduction
His Excellency the Governor General of St. Kitts and Nevis, Sir Cuthbert Sebastian
Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas, Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, and Chairman of the Fifteenth-Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference
Most Hon. P.J. Patterson, Prime Minister of Jamaica and Outgoing Chairman of the Community,
Other Distinguished Heads of State and Government of the Caribbean Community,
Hon. Ministers
Delegates
Members of the Diplomatic Corps
Distinguished Guests
Members of the Media
Ladies and Gentlemen
His Excellency the Governor General of St. Kitts and Nevis, Sir Cuthbert Sebastian
Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas, Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, and Chairman of the Fifteenth-Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference
Most Hon. P.J. Patterson, Prime Minister of Jamaica and Outgoing Chairman of the Community,
Other Distinguished Heads of State and Government of the Caribbean Community,
Hon. MinistersĀ
Delegates
Members of the Diplomatic Corps
Distinguished Guests
Members of the Media
Mr. Chairman, Distinguished Heads of State and Government Delegates_
The Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, the Honourable Baldwin Spencer, is unable to be here with us in St. Kitts & Nevis for this meeting.Ā He has asked me to convey his sincere regret to his colleagues and to the meeting at being unable, two days after a general election, to take himself away from the urgent tasks involved in forming a government. He sends his best wishes for successful deliberations.
Madam Chair,
Honourable Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis
Other Ministers of Finance and Planning
Central Bank Governors
Representatives of International, Hemispheric and Regional Organisations
Distinguished Delegates and Officials
Staff of the Caribbean Community Secretariat
Members of the Media
Ladies and Gentlemen