(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana)     Enhanced cooperation among regional airlines and the feasibility of providing a fast ferry service in the Community to boost transportation will be among the main topics Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Ministers of Transport will consider on Wednesday in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Discussions will be held during a special meeting of the Council of Trade and Economic Development (COTED) on Transportation which was mandated by the Conference of Heads of Government at the Twenty-Fourth Inter-sessional Meeting held in Haiti in February.

The Ministerial session, which was preceded by a preparatory one-day meeting of officials, will include discussions on a Strategic Transportation Plan, as well as transportation for agriculture produce. The Minsters will also deliberate on the feasibility of a single airspace in CARICOM, and seek agreement on a new CARICOM Multilateral Air Services Agreement. The Advanced Air Passenger System (APIS) will also be discussed. In addition, the Caribbean Aviation Safety and Security Oversight System (CASSOS) will report to the day-long Meeting on several matters.

The recommendations of the Special COTED Meeting will be presented to the CARICOM Heads of Government when they meet next in July in Trinidad and Tobago at which a session would be devoted to Transportation.