Your Excellency, Mr. Secretary-General
It is indeed a special privilege, an honour and a great pleasure to present to you this letter of introduction from the Government of Saint Lucia as Saint Lucia's Ambassador Extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the Caribbean Community.
In presenting this Letter, I bring you very warm greetings from Prime Minister, the Hon. Dr. Kenny Anthony, the Government and the people of Saint Lucia. I must tell you that the pleasure of carrying out this simple yet important task is that much greater as the recipient is someone, a friend for whom I have the highest personal and professional regard.
Secretary-General, Saint Lucia places the highest priority on its relations with the Caribbean Community. We value highly our Membership of the Organisation, as well as our fraternal relations with individual Member States. It is our belief that economic and social progress can only be achieved and sustained within the context of a healthy and vibrant Caribbean Community, and we remain committed to every action that will contribute to our Community's health and success. In this connection, we reiterate our commitment to efforts at both the deepening and widening of the Community. Our commitment to the establishment of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) in particular, is unfaltering and we look forward to its early realisation.
Excellency, the Caribbean Community has learnt very quickly and not without pain that global reality is often determined not by high moral principles, but by the strategic interests and strange logic of the few, the rich and the powerful. Our countries have learnt that within the great multi-lateral organisations wherein the world's future is determined, the playing field is not as level as they were made to think; nor are the goal posts ever fixed! They have learnt too that the playing field often transforms into a battlefiled where the weak can expect no mercy.
For us in Saint Lucia, a painful chord is struck every time we think of our experience in the WTO with Bananas. For others in our Community it relates to Rum, Sugar, Rice or even tax policy. And so we have resolved that there is wisdom in confronting this cruel world jointly with our brothers and sisters in the Region, bolstered by the strength that comes from our unity as the Caribbean Community.
Secretary-General, the Secretariat which you head is at the centre of the noble venture that is the Caribbean Community, and Saint Lucia wishes you to be assured of its unwavering support. For us this presentation is full of symbolism. I must tell you that it is no accident that the Secretariat is our very first stop in the series of presentations of Letters of Credence and introduction following my appointment. This is, after all, the headquarters of our Community, and we would have had it done no other way.
I ask that you convey to the staff of the Secretariat, the very best wishes of the Government of Saint Lucia and I assure you once again of our continuing support, even as you and the Secretariat continue your tireless work in support of our Caribbean Community. I ask also that you accept once again the assurances of our highest regard.
Thank you Mr. Secretary-General.
