KINGSTON, Jamaica – ONE OF the encouraging aspects of the just concluded 34th CARICOM Summit was the structured high-level consultations with special guests, among them heads of government and top officials of international and hemispheric organizations such as the United Nations and the Organization of American States (OAS). Consultations with the presidents of Venezuela and the Dominican Republic as well as Prime Minister Vincente Tomi, of Equatorial Guinea, (which currently heads the African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group), were consistent with sustaining a tradition in CARICOM’s foreign policy to avoid misunderstandings and promote mutual respect and cooperation. While the consultation with President Danilo Medina, of the Dominican Republic, focused on his country’s re-affirmation of interest in accessing membership of CARICOM – a matter requiring further detailed consideration – there was a more positive response to the proposal from president Nicolas Maduro for resuscitation of the CARICOM/Venezuela Commission.
