Suriname

The Tenth Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community, was held in Paramaribo, Suriname on 4-5 March, 1999.

Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community reiterate their unwavering opposition and that of their peoples to the blatant and persistent use of the Caribbean Sea for the transhipment of highly toxic nuclear materials.

They again call on the Governments of France, Japan and the United Kingdom to respect the economic importance and ecological fragility of the Caribbean Sea and the well-being of the millions of people who depend on this unique resource for their very existence.

Your Excellency Jules Wijdenbosch, President of Suriname
Chairman of the Caribbean Community
Other distinguished Heads of State and Government
Vice President of Suriname
Speaker of the National Assembly
Hon. Ministers
Members of the Assembly
Members of the Diplomatic Corps
Other distinguished guests
Members of the Media
Ladies and Gentlemen_

Distinguished colleagues,
Distinguished Heads of delegations,
Mr. Secretary-General
Delegates,
Staff of the CARICOM Secretariat
Ladies and Gentlemen.

The Government of Suriname is pleased and honoured to host this First Extraordinary Meeting of the Council for Foreign and Community Relations.

The President of Suriname and Chairman of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), His Excellency, Dr Jules Wijdenbosch on Thursday welcomed a four-member delegation from the CARICOM Secretariat led by CARICOM Secretary-General Mr Edwin Carrington.

This traditional Secretariat briefing of the incoming Chairman, took place at the Presidential Cabinet in Paramaribo, Suriname and the Secretary-General brought the Chairman up to date with current issues of relevance to the Community, which require his attention as Chairman.

A clear indication of the progress and direction of Caribbean integration can be gleaned from the fact that Suriname and Haiti both non-English speaking Members of the Community head vital institutions as the Region moves towards the new millennium

(CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown, Guyana)  Protocol II of the Treaty establishing the Caribbean Community, the Treaty of Chaguaramas, can now be provisionally applied in Member States of the Caribbean Community. This is now possible as Montserrat signed the Protocol and Suriname made its signature of the Protocol effective on 4 July, 1998, the final day of the 19th Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community. The venue for the Meeting was Castries, Saint Lucia.

Suriname has become the latest Member State of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to accredit an Ambassador to the Community.

CARICOM Secretary General Mr. Edwin Carrington has announced that Suriname will soon become a member of the CARICOM-Canada Joint Trade and Economic Committee (JTEC). Mr Carrington was speaking on Thursday 19 February 1998 at the opening of the Ninth JTEC meeting in Georgetown Guyana at the CARICOM headquarters. Suriname which became a member of CARICOM in 1995 is expected shortly to take the final steps to complete its membership in JTEC.