(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretary-General, His Excellency Edwin Carrington will sign an agreement in Shanghai , China later this week with respect to the Community’s joint participation in the 2010 World Exposition in that city.
The Secretary-General arrived in Beijing, China on Sunday, 9 November, at the start of a week-long official visit and leaves on Wednesday for Shanghai to participate in discussions with respect to arrangements being put in place for the World Exposition with emphasis on the plans for CARICOM participation and to visit the site of the event. While in Shanghai, Mr. Carrington will take the opportunity on Friday, 14 November to sign the Leading Participation Agreement on behalf of CARICOM. Ten CARICOM Member States have indicated that they will be participating in the Shanghai World Exposition. These are Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica , Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago. The Secretary-General is the Commissioner-General of the Community for the Exposition.
On Monday Mr. Carrington met with Chinese Foreign Minister, His Excellency Yang Jiechi who hosted a luncheon in honour of the Secretary-General following the meeting. On Tuesday the Secretary-General met with Mme Ma Xiuhong, Vice Minister of Commerce followed by discussions with Mme Uyun Qing Vice Chairperson of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress. On both days discussions centred on co-operation between China and CARICOM.
The Secretary-General said that the Chinese officials agreed to give careful consideration to contributing to the CARICOM Development Fund which has a target of US$250 million. The Fund has been established for the purpose of providing financial and technical assistance to disadvantaged regions, countries and sectors within the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).
Mr. Carrington said the discussions are taking place against the backdrop of China’s recently issued Policy Paper on Latin America and the Caribbean and that country becoming a member of the Inter-American Development Bank.
