Hon. John Rahael Minister of Health of Trinidad and Tobago
Other Honourable Ministers
Honourable Chief Secretary and Other Representatives of the Tobago House of Assembly
Ms Carole Ainstey Manager/Director World Bank
Other Distinguished Guests
Members of the Media
Ladies and Gentlemen_
Member
Honorable Secretary-General of CARICOM, Distinguished Ministers and Country Representatives, Colleagues from Regional and International Organizations, Ladies and Gentlemen_
First and foremost, I would like to express our gratitude to the organizers of this meeting for giving us a chance to sign the Grant Agreement between CARICOM and the World Bank to support the implementation of the Pan Caribbean Partnership Against HIV/AIDS.
It is my pleasure to welcome you all on behalf of the Directorate of Human and Social Development and indeed the entire CARICOM Secretariat. I wish in particular to thank you Minister and your staff at the Ministry of Health for making the arrangements for hosting this meeting. I also wish to express great pleasure that The Hon. Orville London Chief Secretary of the Tobago House of Assembly has graced this opening ceremony with his presence.
The Seventh Meeting of the Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR) was held in Christ Church, Barbados, on 22-23 April 2004. The Ministers attending were_ the Hon. Harold Lovell, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, Tourism and International Transport, Antigua and Barbuda; the Hon. Frederick Mitchell, Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Public Service, The Bahamas; the Hon Dame Billie Miller, DA, BCH, Senior Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Barbados; the Hon. Godfrey P.
The Most Hon. Percival J. Patterson, Prime Minister of Jamaica;
The Prime Minister of Dominica, The Hon. Roosevelt Skerrit;
Distinguished Commissioners Poul Nielson and Pascal Lamy of the European Union;
Senior Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Barbados, Dame Billie Miller;
Members of the Diplomatic Corps;
Special Invitees_
Ambassadors to Brussels,
The Esteemed Secretary-General of the ACP Group of States, Mr. Jean-Robert Goulongana;
"Congratulations on your epic history-making record test innings of 400 not out in the Fourth Test against England at the Antigua Recreation Ground surpassing the highest score of 380 made by the Australian, Matthew Hayden. Your regaining of the world record is a tumultuous victory for all West Indian peoples.
Hon. John Rahael, Minister of Health of Trinidad and Tobago
Assistant Director of the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), Dr. Carissa Etienne
Chairman of the Governing Council of the Caribbean Epidemiology Centre (CAREC),
Dr. Bhoe Tewarie and Members of the CAREC Council
Director of CAREC, Dr. James Hospedales and his Management team and staff
Members of the Diplomatic Corps
Members of the Media
Other Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen
The presence of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Electoral Observer Mission in Antigua and Barbuda arose from a request from the Government of Antigua and Barbuda to monitor the General Elections held on Tuesday 23 March 2004. In response, the Caribbean Community agreed to mount a nine-person Electoral Observer Mission.
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!
Your Excellency
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).