Honourable Ministers
Head of the EU Delegation to Guyana
Members of the Diplomatic Corps
Deputy Secretary General and members of staff of the CARICOM Secretariat
Members of the media
Ladies and Gentlemen

When Caribbean Ministers participated in the negotiations for the Partnership Agreement between ACP and the European Union, they expressed deep concerns over the future of commodity exports from CARIFORUM to the market of the European Union. In that process they were particularly concerned over the loss of preferences and, in the case of rum, the total liberalisation of the European Market. Subsequently, the "Everything But Arms" policy of the European Union was cause for even more concern, as that policy would have the effect of increasing competition for Caribbean Rice on the European Market.

Our negotiators were able to convince the European Union to agree to a "Joint Declaration on Rum" and a "Joint Declaration on Rice". These two Declarations constituted the first step in the provision of support to two important areas of economic activity in CARIFORUM. The next, important, step was to secure the resources with which to provide the required support. CARIFORUM was able to secure 70 Million Euro for a programme of support to improve the competitiveness of Caribbean Rum.

Today, we are gathered to sign an Agreement, which will provide 24 Million Euro in support to the Caribbean Rice Industry with Guyana and Suriname being the major beneficiaries. 

That amount may sound like a lot of money. But, believe me, it pales in comparison to the known requirements of the industry. The experience of the private sector operators in Guyana, burdened with commercial debt, is a clear indicator of the kinds of challenges faced by the industry and the efforts required to ensure its future sustainability.

The 24 Million Euro will, therefore, certainly not solve all or perhaps even most of the problems of the industry, and we had hoped to get much more from the European Union. It however constitutes an important step in the right direction. Let there be no doubt about that! We deeply appreciate it. The next very important step is to implement the agreed programme of support in a timely, transparent and efficient manner.

This will require the concerted efforts and cooperation of all major stakeholders including the Governments of Guyana and of Suriname, rice growers, millers and exporters, the European Commission and technical personnel including those from CARIFORUM and CARICOM. As Secretary-General of both CARIFORUM and CARICOM, I take this opportunity to pledge the full support of both institutions to the implementation of this very important programme.

No one who lives in the Region will doubt the vulnerability of the Member States of CARIFORUM to adverse weather conditions particularly hurricanes and floods, especially in small island states, as are most of all our CARIFORUM member states.

In countries like Guyana and Suriname, also, encroachment by the sea into the land is a particularly challenging phenomenon. These severe adverse weather effects, negatively impact on the economic and social development of the countries of the region. The costs in life, property, loss of income and employment and the demand on national budgets for preventative, mitigating and re-development are extremely burdensome and severe. Conservative estimates indicate that the cost of hurricanes and floods in CARIFORUM exceeds 100 Million US dollars per annum. The cost of sea and river defences in Guyana is well known and takes a significant bite out of the recurrent and capital budget.

It has taken us at least four years to get to the stage where we can sign a Financing Agreement valued at 13.7 Million Euro, with the European Commission for this very important Caribbean Regional Project Radar Weather Warning System. We, in CARIFORUM, had hoped that these resources would have been provided much sooner so that we could have established the network much earlier. But, as the saying goes, better late than never.

These 13.7 Million Euro will enable the Caribbean to establish a Regional Radar Network to provide early warning and monitoring of hurricanes, tropical storms and other severe tropical weather, which cause risks to life and property and which threaten the sustainable development of the region. This network replaces an earlier regional system, which has been decommissioned having far surpassed the end of its normal useful working life. The programme will provide resources for four Doppler digital weather radars as well as display and compositing facilities.

This investment will complete a regional network when these facilities are linked to existing radars in the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Guadeloupe, Martinique and French Guyana. The new radars will be located in Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize and Barbados. This project is a clear demonstration of the will of the people of the Caribbean to unite and cooperate to face common challenges and of the EU to assist them in so doing.

It would be remiss of me not to express my appreciation to the Government of Guyana for agreeing to host one of the new radars. Today, I intend to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Guyana for the radar to be located in Guyana.

It would also be remiss of me not to publicly acknowledge some of those individuals and organisations, which played important roles in getting us to this important stage in respect of both the Rice Industry Support Programme and the Radar Weather System Project.

With respect to Rice Industry Support Programme, I wish to publicly acknowledge the leadership of the Honourable Minister Clement Rohee in negotiating the Joint Declaration on Rice. I also wish to acknowledge the cooperation and support of the public and private sector rice industry officials of Guyana and Suriname and the Caribbean Rice Association in the development of the programme.

With respect to the Radar Weather Systems Project, I wish to publicly acknowledge the tireless work of the Caribbean Meteorological Organisation in the development of the project.

Finally, I wish to express the region's appreciation to the various members of staff of the European Commission who contributed to these programmes. I wish to assure His Excellency, the Ambassador of the European Commission in Guyana, of the region's appreciation for the support being provided. I wish to further assure him of the region's commitment to continue to work closely with the European Commission to secure the sustainable development of the Caribbean Region. 

Looking back on it, today is one of those days, which make me personally feel that the near fourteen years I spent in Brussels at the ACP in cooperation with the European Community were worth it! I thank you for the opportunity and the results – Season’s Greetings to all!