CARICOM CHAIRMAN AND SECRETARY-GENERAL MEET IN SURINAME

The President of Suriname and Chairman of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), His Excellency, Dr Jules Wijdenbosch on Thursday welcomed a four-member delegation from the CARICOM Secretariat led by CARICOM Secretary-General Mr Edwin Carrington.

This traditional Secretariat briefing of the incoming Chairman, took place at the Presidential Cabinet in Paramaribo, Suriname and the Secretary-General brought the Chairman up to date with current issues of relevance to the Community, which require his attention as Chairman.

President Wijdenbosch as Chairman presides over the Bureau of CARICOM from January 1, 1999. The other Members of the Bureau are former Chairman, Dr. the Hon. Kenny Anthony, Prime Minister of St. Lucia, incoming chairman, the Hon. Basdeo Panday, Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago and Secretary-General Carrington.

During Thursday's meeting Mr Carrington indicated that with the Chairmanship of the Conference, the Community Council of Ministers as well as the Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR), Suriname was assuming a greater role of Community leadership than had fallen to any other CARICOM country.

Secretary-General Carrington highlighted a number of issues which will hold the attention of leaders at the upcoming Tenth Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference scheduled for early March in Paramaribo. Foremost among these issues were the marketing of Caribbean bananas and CARICOM/US co-operation; the construction of the CARICOM Village in Montserrat, the June 1999 EU/Latin America/Caribbean Summit in Brazil, the mid-April 1999, Association of Caribbean States Summit in the Dominican Republic, the CARICOM/Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement, the Y2K Problem and CARICOM Secretariat issues.

With the Inter-Sessional Meeting only six weeks away, the briefing also focussed on administrative arrangements to be put in place by March 1999. The Chairman indicated that this meeting would be held in the new Conference Centre currently being constructed.

The CARICOM Secretary-General and his team also met with Foreign Minister the Hon. Errol Snijders and officials of his ministry to make arrangements for the COFCOR and Community Council Meetings which will precede the Inter-Sessional Meeting and over which the Foreign Minister will preside.

Secretary-General Carrington left Suriname for The Bahamas to hold consultations with the Government which begin on Monday.