Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) continued their 34th Regular Meeting on Friday in retreat at the Petrotrin Staff Centre, Pointe-a-Pierre, Trinidad and Tobago.
The leaders are meeting in Trinidad and Tobago as the regional integration grouping celebrates its 40th anniversary of the signing of the founding Treaty of Chaguaramas.
They began their business sessions Thursday afternoon where they held preliminary discussions on transportation, and had exchanges with special guests including the delegations from the Republic of Equatorial Guinea led by Prime Minister Vicente Tomi, and Secretary-General of the Organisation of American States (OAS), Jose Miguel Insulza.
Discussions were also to be held with His Danila Medina, President of the Dominican Republic who has appealed to Leaders to allow his country to join the 15-member regional integration grouping, and Nicolas Maduro, President of Venezuela.
Thursday morning, the Heads of Government journeyed to Chaguaramas and participated in a commemorative event at the Chaguaramas Convention Centre, where the founding Treaty was signed on 4 July, 1973, the Errol Barrow, Prime Minister of Barbados, Eric Williams, Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Forbes Burnham, Prime Minister of Guyana, and Michael Manley, Prime Minister of Jamaica.
The Conference concludes today.
The effects of the current economic climate on member states and the framework within which CARICOM can achieve growth and development are major agenda item at the meeting.
So is there a template of what have been discussed and a plan to move things forward? I am not sure I can put my hand on an issue that was signed in 1973 and is still working. To be honest, I have no idea what was accomplished in 73. These guys talk big, but do very little. It’s the same thing with politicians all over the world. Nothing trickle down to the ordinary man, not even the knowledge of what took place at these meetings.
PVPALMER, they certainly got the article title wrong. “CARICOM heads buckle down to business” it should be ‘ CARICOM arses buckle down to business’ wrong end of the anatomies of this collection of defunct and ineffectual creatures.
I really believe that Gonsalves wants to put an end to CARICOM and put ALBA there, it more suits his agenda.