Initiative not to undermine Single Market
Basseterre -- August 20, 2008 -- St. Kitts and Nevis’
Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas has confirmed that his
Trinidad and Tobago colleague, the Hon. Patrick Manning will visit
Basseterre on Wednesday.
The visit by the Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister follows a meeting
in Port of Spain, at which the leaders of four CARICOM countries
declared their intent to establish a political union by 2013, insisting
that their move would not be detrimental to the wider regional
integration movement.
Prime Minister Hon. Patrick Manning of Trinidad and Tobago, his St.
Vincent and the Grenadines counterpart, Dr. the Hon. Ralph Gonsalves,
Prime Minister of St. Lucia, Hon. Stephenson King and the Grenada Prime
Minister Hon. Tillman Thomas last Thursday night affixed their
signatures to a joint declaration.
This declaration also outlined their commitment to accelerating the establishment of a CARICOM Single Economy by 2011.
Dr. Douglas has confirmed that Prime Minister Manning, who will be
accompanied by the Grenada Prime Minister Hon. Tillman Thomas, will
travel to St. Kitts and Nevis after stops in Dominica to hold talks
with Hon. Roosevelt Skerritt; Antigua and Barbuda to see Prime Minister
Hon. Baldwin Spencer, and Montserrat to hold talks with Chief Minister
Hon. Dr. Lowell Lewis to discuss the initiatives agreed at the
mini-summit in Trinidad and Tobago.
A joint communiqué issued at the end of the one-day session that was
also attended by the Foreign Minister of Barbados, Chris Sinckler, and
his Guyanese counterpart, Carolyn Rodriquez, said that the meeting had
also taken note of the difficulties which have arisen in progressing
towards the establishment of the CSE and the decision of the
Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) to establish an
economic union by 2009.
“The Prime Ministers of Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the
Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago signed a Joint Declaration to
establish a framework for closer cooperation towards the achievement of
the single economy by 2011 and appropriate political integration by
2013,” the communiqué said.
“The Prime Ministers and Foreign Ministers also resolved that no
initiative associated with the implementation of this Joint Declaration
would undermine the Single Market or economic cohesion established by
the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas.
“Participation in this framework is open to all Member States of the
Caribbean Community wishing to commit to the achievement of the single
economy and appropriate political integration within indicative
timeframes," the statement added.
It noted that former St. Lucia prime minister and former University of
the West Indies senior lecturer, Professor Vaughan Lewis, and Trinidad
and Tobago diplomat Dr. Cuthbert Joseph had been “mandated to prepare a
study by the end of 2008 regarding achieving the modalities which have
been set."
“The Joint Declaration is a statement of intent, which is subject to
ratification by the respective Cabinets and the duties identified are
purely indicative,” said the communiqué.
Thursday's meeting was also attended by CARICOM Secretary General His
Excellency Edwin Carrington and the OECS Director General Her
Excellency Dr. Len Ishmael.