(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) His Excellency Edwin Carrington yesterday received the credentials of the first Ambassador of St Vincent and the Grenadines to the Community, His Excellency Ellsworth John.
At the credentials ceremony held at the Headquarters of the CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown, Guyana, on Friday 22 August, 2008, Secretary-General Carrington noted that Ambassador John was “undoubtedly well equipped to contribute to the Community’s deliberations on a plethora of issues” based on his “distinguished career.” He highlighted the Ambassador’s skill and commitment in promoting the interest of the Region during his Chairmanship of the CARICOM Caucus of Ambassadors in Washington, USA, which spearheaded arrangements for the staging of the landmark 2007 Conference of the Caribbean, a precursor to the 2008 Conference on the Caribbean, held in June last.
He was also commended by Secretary-General Carrington for championing St. Vincent and the Grenadine’s efforts to create stronger relations with its Diaspora during his tenure as Ambassador to the United States of America.
In this stead, the Secretary-General said that he had “every confidence” that Ambassador John will “bring innovative ideas” in the guiding process for the full and effective participation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), in his capacity as Head of the Regional Integration and Diaspora Unit in the Prime Minister’s Office. In his remarks, Ambassador John said that his government felt it was necessary to establish the Regional Integration and Diaspora Unit to improve the efficiency of implementing CARICOM decisions. He noted that his country was the first CARICOM Member State to execute such an initiative. Ambassador John added that he will work to “ensure that the implementation of the work of CARICOM is carried out effectively and smoothly.”
Speaking on the benefits his country had derived as a member state of CARICOM, Ambassador John said that the country had “benefited considerably” especially in light of CSME. He pointed to the Petroleum Fund and the Stabilisation Fund as immediate examples of benefits to being a Member of the Community.
In stressing the importance of equitable benefits within the CSME, Ambassador John stated that as one of the smaller countries in CARICOM, St Vincent and the Grenadines had limitations that some of the larger countries did not face. However, he cited the construction of an international airport in his country as one of the measures being taken to ensure that St Vincent and the Grenadines was in a position to take advantage of the opportunities offered under the CSME.
