Caribbean Leaders Optimistic about Region’s Economic Plan

Caribbean heads of government are moving ahead with plans to form a single regional economy in 2008. They wrapped up their latest meeting on Wednesday, February 14, in Kingstown, St. Vincent. It was their 18th Inter-Sessional meeting.

Prime Ministers Owen Arthur, Ralph Gonsalves of St Vincent and the Grenadines and Patrick Manning of Trinidad and Tobago showed optimism as they shared an end-of-conference media briefing that pointed to a concerted plan of action for this year’s regular annual CARICOM Summit in July in Barbados. Leaders from one dozen other Caribbean nations attended the meeting.

Major areas for action include:

* a new model for effective governance that would include an administrative mechanism empowered with executive authority;

* creation of a US$250 million Caribbean Development Fund;

* more effective co-operation in the vital energy sector, for which Trinidad and Tobago has a major role to play, and for which Venezuela is also to be involved as the two regional suppliers of energy;

* integrated production and marketing mechansisms for development of the agricultural sector;

* co-ordinated approaches on regional air and maritime transportation; and

* crime and security.

The conference was held under the chairmanship of the Hon. Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of St. Vincent.