Secretary General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), His Excellency Mr. Edwin Carrington was officially handed the keys to the Headquarters of the CARICOM Secretariat this morning during a ceremony held on the grounds of the facilities at Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown.
Coming on the heels of the 16th Inter-Sessional Meeting of the CARICOM Heads of Government, the inauguration of the pristine building, which has changed the landscape of the Embankment Road, where it is located, four miles from the capital, comes at a significant time in the history of the Caribbean Community, “The Year of the Single Market”.
Attending the ceremony were some 600 invitees including Chairman of the Conference of Heads of the Government, H. E. Runaldo R Venetiaan and seven other Heads of Government – Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Hon. Baldwin Spencer, Prime Minister of Barbados, the Rt. Hon. Owen Arthur, Prime Minister of Guyana, Hon. Samuel Hinds, Prime Minister of Jamaica, the Most Hon. P. J. Patterson, Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, the Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas, Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr. the Hon. Ralph Gonzales and Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Hon. Patrick Manning. Other Heads of government were represented. Other guests included past Secretary-General, Sir Shridath Ramphal, staff of the Secretariat and special invited guest, President of Chile, H. E. Ricardo Lagos Escabor.
Speaking at the ceremony, Chairman of the Conference, His Excellency Runaldo R Venetiaan, described the occasion as “a historic and joyful moment”. The celebration of the opening of the building he asserted is a long awaited moment, adding that its inauguration at this time is in keeping with other current developments in the Region. “Like the imminent implementation of the CSME, the official opening symbolises the beginning of a new era, in fulfilling the dreams of a Caribbean with one vision, one future and one destiny” President Venetiaan said.
The current longest serving Prime Minister of CARICOM, the Most Hon. P. J. Patterson, Prime Minister of Jamaica, told the gathering that the building was not merely a structure, but a critical milestone in the journey of CARICOM. “Today, as we are about to move under the roof of our own CARICOM House, we see a tangible manifestation of our achievements and our commitment. This edifice embodies the spirit and the vision of the fathers and mothers of our Community who travelled those difficult early miles to lay the foundation for a Community of which we can all be justly proud,” Prime Minister Patterson said.
