CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS – The month of February will be a time of serious deliberation for the Region as Ministers will convene to engage a number of salient issues related to external trade at the 20th Special Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) on February 2-3, 2007 in Montego Bay, Jamaica. The tone of the meeting will be set by discussions on refining strategies that capitalize on the collective strengths of the Region to mitigate development challenges. In this regard special emphasis will focus on strategies that simultaneously improve international competitiveness and accommodate appropriate domestic and regional adjustments. In addition attention will be placed on specific trade issues especially relevant to the Region’s EPA negotiations with the European Union, and the WTO Doha Round. As the Director General of the CRNM indicates “Given the re-launch of the Doha negotiations, and that we have entered the final stage of the EPA, this Meeting is happening at a critical juncture in the mapping of the Region’s economic future. In our focus on the EPA, we will be examining and specifying development enhancing measures that will categorically define the EPA as a tool specifically designed to engender sustainable development of the Region. Given the extremely ambitious timeline for completing the Doha Round it is crucial at this time for us to re-examine our options and strategic position.” Amongst the most pressing issues to be discussed will be the question of the future of key agricultural commodities. Specifically, Ministers will deliberate on the way sugar and bananas should be treated within the EPA. The Meeting will also address matters related to Regional bilateral relationships.
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