(CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown, Guyana) The Eighth meeting of CARICOM's Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR) got on the way in Freeport The Bahamas on 1 June with an extensive agenda focusing on Regional security matters and CARICOM's relationship with traditional partners and building relations with others.
Hon Ministers
Distinguished Delegates
Members of the Diplomatic Corps
Members of Parliament
Members of the Media
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Welcome to this the Eighth Meeting of the Caribbean Community's Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR).
Hon. Fred Mitchell, Foreign Minister of The Bahamas, welcome to the Chair of this vital Organ of the Caribbean Community.
Distinguished Secretary General
Colleague Ministers
Excellencies and other representatives of the Diplomatic Corps
Distinguished Guests
Members of the Media
It is an honour and a privilege to welcome colleague Ministers of Foreign Affairs and their delegations to this Eighth Meeting of the Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR). On behalf of the Prime Minister, the Government and people of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, we are honoured to host this important meeting in Freeport, Grand Bahama.
Chairman, the Hon Fred Mitchell, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas
Colleague Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Caribbean Community
Secretary General of the Caribbean Community
Excellencies
Senior Officials
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
Let me begin by thanking the Government of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas for their warm hospitality in hosting us for this Eighth Meeting of the COFCOR.
(CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown, Guyana) The Bureau of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community, having been seized of ongoing events in Belize, expresses its deep concern over the situation in that Member State. The Bureau is alarmed at the reports of violence, looting and deliberate acts of sabotage, which have affected the personal security of the people of Belize and have had a negative impact on its economy.
(CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown, Guyana) The General Elections held on 25 May 2005 were monitored by the CARICOM Electoral Observer Mission at the invitation of the Government of the Republic of Suriname. The six-member Observer Team's principal functions were to monitor the preparations for the Elections, the campaign, the conduct of the poll and the counting of the ballots, as well as to assess the outcome of the Elections.
(CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown, Guyana) The six-member CARICOM Electoral Observer Mission mounted at the invitation of the Government of the Republic of Suriname to monitor the conduct of that country's General Elections on 25 May is now on the ground in Suriname.
(CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown, Guyana) Progress reports on the harmonisation of a range of Instruments required to complement and give effect to the macro-economic policy framework for the Single Economy were considered by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Ministers attending the Tenth Meeting of CARICOM's Council for Finance and Planning (COFAP) in Georgetown on Saturday 21 May. The Single Economy is one arm of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) with the other being the Single Market.
Honourable Secretary-General of CARICOM, Mr. Edwin Carrington, Honourable Minister of Agriculture, Guyana, Mr. Satyadeow Sawh Fellow Ministers of Member States, Colleague Ministers of Agriculture Senior Technical Officers of the Respective Caribbean Member States Members of the Media, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, Good Afternoon.