agribusiness

European and Caribbean leaders ended an historic meeting here today with the EU assuring the Caribbean that its interests would be constantly borne in mind in deliberations within the EU, and in EU representation in deliberations of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). This, in response to Caribbean concerns about recent developments and the outlook for their key exports of sugar and bananas in the EU and in the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

The meeting agreed to further strengthen EU-CARIFORUM cooperation in key common areas, HIV/AIDS, Drugs and Crime and Security.

Export of sugar to Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago was the subject of separate and successful bilateral discussions between Minister of Foreign Trade and International Cooperation of Guyana Clement Rohee and his counterparts from the two sister CARICOM countries, K.D Knight of Jamaica and Kenneth Valley of Trinidad and Tobago. These discussions took place during the just concluded Special meeting of the CARICOM Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED), which took place in Georgetown, Guyana, 1-4 September 2003.

MONTEGO BAY, JAMAICA – The Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (RNM) and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture (IICA) signed an important Cooperation Agreement, July 4. The signing took place on the margins of the Twenty-Fourth Meeting of CARICOM Heads in Montego Bay, Jamaica, July 2 to 5. RNM Director-General, Ambassador Dr. Richard Bernal and Dr. Chelston Braithwaite, Director-General of IICA, signed on behalf of the two organizations.

The Caribbean Community is moving to ensure that the dreaded Foot and Mouth and Mad Cow diseases do not impact negatively on the livestock industry and the economies of the Region. To this end the Region's Public Health and Veterinary officers will meet in Guyana on 27 March 2001 to formulate a regional initiative to tackle these potentially devastating diseases.

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Ministers responsible for Trade and Economic Development have agreed to a CARICOM position on Agriculture and Services in the current round of negotiations taking place in the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

A Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat representative is a among a 19-member party of officials from the private and public sectors in Member States and technical support agencies who are making a study tour of Chile's agribusiness sector, during this week.