Grenada

Welcome to Grenada. Welcome to Spice Country. Welcome to the Twenty-fifth Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community. The people of Grenada, Carriacou and Petit Martinique welcome you.

I am very pleased that all of my friends are here. Just a few days ago, one of my colleague Heads of Government asked whether or not I would be here.  Fortunately, being a cricketer, dealing with bouncers is ingrained in me. Thankfully though, bouncers are now limited to one per Over.

The Community Council of Ministers held its Second Special Meeting on July 3, 2004 in accordance with the decision taken at its Fourteenth Meeting, which was held in Trinidad and Tobago on 18 June 2004. The Chairman of the Meeting was The Hon. Elvin Nimrod, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Grenada. The Meeting was primarily to discuss the recommendations for the restructuring of the CARICOM Secretariat. It also received and reviewed an update on the situation in Haiti.

Opening Remarks

Regional statisticians got together for back-to-back meetings during the past week, November 11-15, 2002 in St. George’s, Grenada to discuss critical issues relating to data collection, compilation and dissemination, in support of national and regional priorities and objectives. The Meetings were convened by the Secretariat of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and hosted by the Government of Grenada.

(i) The Recent Venezuela Oil Facility Offer

The Bureau welcomed the offer of the Government of Venezuela of an Energy Accord (the Caracas Energy Accord) to supplement the existing San Jose Agreement, thereby providing additional support on a bilateral basis to several oil-importing countries in the Caribbean and Central America.

The Caribbean Community is deeply disturbed to learn of a decision by Carnival Cruise Line to cease calling at Port St. George's, Grenada with virtually immediate effect.

Carnival is the largest cruise line calling at Grenadian ports, and accounts for approximately half of the cruise passengers to the country.

Such a cessation of its cruise activity will therefore create a most unwelcome situation for the government and people of Grenada, particularly those involved in the Tourist industry, including the small artisans and traders who depend heavily on cruise tourism.

Senator the Hon. Dr. John Watts, Deputy to the Governor-General of Grenada;
Dr. the Hon. Keith Mitchell, Prime Minister of Grenada;
Hon. Sir Curtis Strachan, Speaker of the Assembly, and the House of Representatives of Grenada;
Hon Ralph Maraj, Foreign Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, representing the
Hon. Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago and Chairman of the Conference of the Caribbean Community;
Hon. Ministers of Government;
Honourable Representatives of the Assembly;
Members of the Diplomatic Corps;
Members of the Media;

Representatives from across the Region gather in Grenada on October 14 and 15 for the Second Sitting of the Assembly of Caribbean Community Parliamentarians (ACCP).

The second session of the Assembly of Caribbean Community Parliamentarians (ACCP) will convene in Grenada on October 14, 1999.

The CARICOM Single Market and Economy was significantly advanced as regional Attorneys-General and Ministers of Legal Affairs approved and commended for signature by the Conference of Heads of Government, three Protocols amending the Treaty establishing the Caribbean Community. The Instruments_ Protocol IV - Trade Policy; Protocol VI - Transport Policy, and Protocol VII - Disadvantaged Countries, Regions and Sectors, are expected to be signed at the Twentieth Meeting of the Conference to be convened in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago in July 1999.