coted

Co-Chairmen
Honourable Ministers
Distinguished Delegates
Assistant Secretaries-General and Staff of the CARICOM Secretariat
Representatives of the Media
Ladies and Gentlemen

It is with the greatest pleasure that as Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community, I join the honourable Minister of Foreign Trade and International Cooperation of Guyana, in welcoming you all to this historic Second Joint Meeting of the Councils for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) and Human and Social Development (COHSOD).

CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The Twenty-Fifth Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) opened at the Buddy’s International Hotelin Georgetown Friday with challenges thrown out for the Region to become more competitive in order to respond to the challenges of the current global environment.

Distinguished Delegates, It is my honour to be afforded the opportunity to Chair this the 25th Regular Session of the COTED.

I am reassured by the manner in which we worked yesterday to complete the COTED/COHSOD Agenda. I know that our concerted efforts today will result in timely agreement on important items on the Agenda.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The Twenty-Fifth Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) opens in Georgetown on Friday 25 January with a packed agenda that includes recommendations from the technical team which earlier this week considered poverty and rising cost of living in the Region.

Salutations

Honourable Charles Savarin, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Trade, Labour and the Public Service of Dominica and Chairman of the COTED;
Honourable Eamon Courtenay, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Belize and Outgoing Chairman of the COTED;
Other Honourable Ministers;

Distinguished Delegates; Members of the Diplomatic Corps;

Other distinguished Guests;

Honourable Charles Savarin, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Trade, Labour and the Public Service of Dominica and Chairman of the COTED;
Honourable Eamon Courtenay, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Belize and Outgoing Chairman of the COTED;
Other Honourable Ministers;

Distinguished Delegates; Members of the Diplomatic Corps;

Other distinguished Guests;

Salutations

In a challenge to the 20th Special Meeting of the CARICOM Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED), Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Belize, the Hon, Eamon Courtenay asserted that “Current trends in trade relations demand a direct response rather than subtlety”. Given this view, he has charged the meeting now underway in Montego Bay, Jamaica, to engage in frank political dialogue and to act decisively.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The Council on Trade and Economic Development (COTED) concluded its 22nd meeting in Georgetown on Friday having removed longstanding items from its agenda and significantly advancing others.

At an end-of-COTED press conference at Le Meridien Pegasus Friday evening, Council Chairman, Honourable Eamon Courtenay listed among the more intense discussions over the two days, issues relating to_