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Launch of Caribbean-EU Negotiations Imminent

CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS – The Sixteenth Meeting of the Caricom Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) was held in Belize City, Belize, during the first week of March. Several key decisions were made regarding external trade matters, including on issues related to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), respectively. Concerning Africa Caribbean Pacific-European Union (ACP-EU) Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) negotiations, COTED affirmed that a regional EPA must make a meaningful contribution to development.

Deadlock in FTAA Negotiations

CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS – The Seventeenth Meeting of the Free Trade Area of the America’s (FTAA) Trade Negotiations Committee (TNC) ended inconclusively, the evening of February 6. The five-day meeting of Trade Vice-Ministers, from thirtyfour nations in the Americas, was held in Puebla, Mexico, February 2 to 6.

Interim Summit Pledges Support for Americas-wide

CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS – Announced last year, leaders from thirty-four
countries in the Americas were called to focus and deliberate on three principal
topics, inter alia: combating poverty, promoting social development, and
strengthening democratic governance, at a Special Summit in the city of Monterrey,
Nuevo León, Mexico, January 12 to 13, 2004. Caribbean leaders were amongst the
invited Heads of State.
The Special Summit’s purpose was slated as “advancing the implementation of

Accord ‘Endorsed’ at Miami Trade Talks

MIAMI, UNITED STATES – Trade Ministers, from thirty-four countries, gathered at the Eighth Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) Ministerial Meeting, in Miami, endorsed a key Ministerial Declaration, November 20. The Ministerial, set to last two days, concluded a day early. The summit followed a meeting of Vice-Ministers, November 15 to 18. The Ministerial Meeting produced a ‘compromise’ Ministerial Declaration for the Americas-wide trade pact. It will serve as a pragmatic framework for the process to move forward.

RNM Chief: FTAA Talks ‘Amicable’

MIAMI, UNITED STATES – “Deliberations, thus far, have been amicable and constructive”. Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (RNM) Director-General, Ambassador Richard Bernal, made these remarks, November 17, two days into the Sixteenth meeting of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) Trade Negotiations Committee (TNC), convened in Miami, United States. The four-day TNC, that got underway November 15, is striving to broker ‘balance’ to respond to the sensitivities of the negotiating countries concerned.

RNM Brings Agriculture Trade Negotiations into Focus

CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS – The Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery’s (RNM) Seventh Technical Working Group (TWG) on Agriculture came to a close yesterday. The two-day meeting - convened in Bridgetown, Barbados, July 21 to 22 - provided an overview of agriculture trade negotiations in the World Trade Organization (WTO) and Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA).

Caribbean Ministers Meet WTO and USTR Chiefs

MONTEGO BAY, JAMAICA – Caribbean Ministers with responsibility for trade met with United States Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Zoellick and World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Supachai Panitchapdi in Montego Bay, Jamaica on June 2 and 3, respectively, during the Twenty-Fourth Meeting of CARICOM Heads of Government, convened July 2 to 5. Both sessions were chaired by Chairman of COTED and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade of St. Kitts & Nevis, Hon. Sam Condor. Hon. K.D.

MINISTERS DISCUSS FUTURE OF THE FTAA

MONTEGO BAY, JAMAICA – United States Trade Representative Robert Zoellick convened an informal meeting of Trade Ministers, from selected Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) countries, in Maryland, June 12, 2003. Ministers from thirteen countries attended, drawn from all regions of the hemisphere. The main focus of discussion was on the goals of the FTAA and the core elements needed to achieve economic success and enhance political support for the FTAA.

CRITICAL COLLEGE OF NEGOTIATORS MEETING IN JAMAICA

CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS – A College of Negotiators Meeting will be convened in Kingston, Jamaica from March 31 to April 1, 2003. The session will finalize CARICOM’s preparation for the 13th Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) Trade Negotiation Committee (TNC) Meeting in Puebla, Mexico from April 8 to 11. The College comprises Lead and Alternate Lead Negotiators representing CARICOM in the FTAA’s nine Negotiating Groups and one Ad Hoc Group on Rules of Origin (an ad hoc group of the Negotiating Group on Market Access).

Prime Minister Patterson Lauds RNM Work

CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS – Hon. P.J. Patterson, Prime Minister of Jamaica, lauded the RNM for “the tremendous work being done” in relation to the Region’s participation in WTO, FTAA and ACP/EU negotiations. He was reporting to the Fourteenth Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community, held from the 14th to 15th of February in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, in his capacity as Chairman of the Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee on External Negotiations.

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