Conference of Heads of Government

Mr. Chairman Colleague Heads of State and Government Honourable Ministers Secretary General Delegates Specially Invited Guests of International Organisations Members of the Diplomatic Corps Ladies and Gentlemen_

Introduction

Let me first thank the Government and people of Grenada for their cordial welcome and gracious hospitality. I extend warm congratulations to the Prime Minister of Grenada, Dr. the Right Honourable Keith Mitchell on his assumption once again, of the Chairmanship of the Caribbean Community.

Radio Caricom will be officially launched at the 25th Meeting of the Conference of the Heads of Government in Grenada on 4 July 2004

It will be established in all Member States over a short period of time with Barbados, Belize, Grenada, and St. Lucia, regarded as "pilot States" in the project, coming online in 2004. Radio Caricom will eventually become a common source of information on the Caribbean Community for all Member States, and available in all Member States.

Esteemed Prime Ministers;
Secretary General of CARICOM, His Excellency, Dr. Edwin Carrington;
Honorable Ministers and Attorneys General;
Other Members of Delegations;
Other Dignitaries_

It is a singular honour for Antigua and Barbuda to host this historic meeting of the Bureau of Heads of Government. As the newest kid on this block, I beg your indulgence should any lapses into local realities during my remarks be seen as representing any affront to protocol.

The Seventeenth Meeting of the Bureau of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) with participation by the Core Group on Haiti, was held at the Office of the Prime Minister, St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda on 4-5 May 2004, under the Chairmanship of Hon. Baldwin Spencer, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda and Chairman of the Conference of Heads of Government.

The Fifteenth Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community was held in Basseterre, St Kitts and Nevis on 25-26 March 2004. The Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis, the Hon Dr Denzil Douglas presided over the Meeting of the Conference.

Mr. Chairman,
Colleague Heads of State and Government,
Honourable Ministers,
Secretary General of CARICOM,
Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Introduction

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.

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.

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

Mr. Chairman, our Secretary General, Dr. Edwin Carrington; Most Hon. P.J. Patterson of Jamaica, outgoing Chairman of CARICOM; Heads of Delegations, Ministers of Foreign Affairs; Ministers of International Trade, Finance and Planning; Staff of the CARICOM Secretariat, Distinguished Delegates; Members of the Press; Ladies and Gentlemen.

It is with great pleasure that today, 8 December, we celebrate CARICOM-Cuba Day.

Thirty-one years ago, four Caribbean Community countries - Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago - opened this chapter in the Community’s history by establishing diplomatic relations with Cuba.