Officials of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) on Monday began preparatory deliberations at the CARICOM Secretariat in Georgetown, Guyana, ahead of a Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED, which will be held later in the week.

The Fortieth Meeting of the COTED will be held April 23-24. Over the two days, Ministers with responsibility for Trade will focus on the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), matters related to Trade in Agriculture, as well as external economic and trade relations. The way forward with respect to COTED’s engagement with the Private Sector will also be discussed.

The COTED opens on the morning of Thursday 23 April at the Pegasus Hotel. Chair of the Council, the Hon. Claude Hogan, Minister of Agriculture, Lands, Housing, Trade and the Environment,of Montserrat, and CARICOM Secretary-General Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, will make remarks at the opening.

Representatives of the media are invited to cover the following:

Event: Opening ceremony, 40th Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED)
Venue: Pegasus Hotel, Georgetown, Guyana
Date: April 23, 2015
Time: 9:30 am