(CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown, Guyana) Just days before their own XX Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community, eleven (11) CARICOM Leaders will attend the historic Inter-Hemispheric Summit between Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean.
Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community at the Sixth Special Meeting of the Conference held on 16 April 1999 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, reviewed the impact on the Caribbean Community of the rulings by the WTO Panel on the revised European Union Banana Regime.
As a result of the deliberations, the CARICOM leaders issued the following statement:
A Special Meeting of the Conference Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community is being organised to take place in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic on Friday, 16 April.
Your Excellency, Jules Wijdenbosch, President of Suriname and Chairman of CARICOM
Colleague Heads of Government
Vice President Of Suriname
Speaker of the National Assembly
Ministers
Members of the Assembly
Members of the Diplomatic Corps
Distinguished Delegates
Other Distinguished Guests
Members of the Media
Ladies and Gentlemen
The Secretariats of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Caribbean Forum (CARIFORUM) will play host to a delegation from the Dominican Republic in Guyana as a lead activity to the Caribbean-US Forum on Trade and Investment which is scheduled to take place in the Dominican Republic 16-18 March 1999.
The delegation from the Dominican Republic will, on Friday 29 January 1999 have a series of meetings with officials from both the private and public sectors in Guyana as well as with the Deputy Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community, Dr. Carla Barnett.
Heads of State and Government of the Caribbean Forum of ACP States(CARIFORUM), the Dominican Republic, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and leaders of elegation of Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines;
The Free Trade Agreement (FTA) signed on August 22, 1998 between the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Dominican Republic will establish a Free Trade Area composed of 14 million people when it comes into effect.
The FTA will come into effect either on January 1, 1999 or upon completion of a plan of action scheduled to be completed ninety days after the signing of the Agreement. Both parties will then take the necessary administrative and legal action to give effect to the Agreement.
(CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown, Guyana) Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the President of Cuba will meet with the President of the Dominican Republic in Santo Domingo from Thursday, 20 August-Saturday, 22 August 1998.
His Excellency, President Leonel Fernandez is hosting the meeting during celebrations marking the 500th anniversary of the founding of the city of Santo Domingo and will also host a dinner in commemoration of the 25th Anniversary of the Signing of the Treaty of Chaguaramas, which established CARICOM.
(CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown, Guyana) The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat and the Government of Chile cooperation initiative will continue to place emphasis for the next year on Small Enterprise Development, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Poverty Alleviation, Spanish language training and Inter-University Exchanges.
A three-member delegation from Chile is meeting (Thursday, July 23) with representatives of the CARICOM Secretariat at its Georgetown office in Guyana to address these priority areas in their 1998-1999 Work Programme.
The President of the Republic of South Africa, His Excellency Mr Nelson Mandela has accepted an invitation from the Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Dr the Hon Keith Mitchell, Prime Minister of Grenada to attend the XIX Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community.