As Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community, I would like to thank the Ministry of External Affairs and International Trade and Civil Aviation for affording me the privilege of presenting this address on the occasion of the re-launch of your Council on Economic External Trade, on the eve of the historic Meeting of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community, on the Revival of the Regional Economy. I could not but notice the spirit of determination inherent in this national effort and heartily congratulate those involved.
Trade and Economic Issues
Having already established a Single Market for intra-regional trade in goods, the Caribbean Community has taken a significant step towards the creation of a Single market for Services, Capital and the Establishment of Businesses by CARICOM Nationals.
Officials and Ministers of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED), one of the chief organs of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), meet in Guyana on 23-25 January, to deliberate on a host of trade related and economic issues affecting the regional integration movement.
The COTED Officials will first meet on 23-24 January at the Le Meridien Pegasus Hotel to set the agenda for the Ministerial session on 25 January.
Ministers and officials from the Region's Trade and Agricultural sectors will meet in Georgetown, Guyana over several days for a series of Meetings under the umbrella of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED). It will be the Eleventh Meeting of the Council, one of the four ministerial Organs of the Community, and the one that is charged with dealing with economic and trade issues.