PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, Guyana Chronicle – THE opening ceremony for the 34th Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM was held last evening in Trinidad and Tobago, at the St Ann’s Conference Centre, under the theme, “Celebration and Renewal”.
Delivering opening remarks, CARICOM’s Secretary General Ambassador Irwin LaRocque called on the leaders of member states to remember that for 40
years, CARICOM has been building a foundation and has a base upon which they can build a sustainable future. “There is also much to celebrate at this milestone in our integration process. We have persevered. We have kept the faith. We have demonstrated clearly the benefits of our co-operation and collaboration. We have responded, time and again, to whatever challenges were before us, and used our unity to exercise influence in the global diplomatic arena way above our size”.
Ambassador LaRocque said the grouping could boast of being the longest surviving integration alliance among developing countries and second only to the European Union in global terms. “The programmes of functional co-operation and common services have deepened and expanded in health, disaster management, agriculture, the environment and education, to name a few. We have maintained the concept of negotiating as a bloc and have trade agreements as CARICOM with six countries as well as numerous technical co-operation agreements.”
