President Granger emphasises importance of CSME, regional integration

President David Granger said that there is an economic purpose to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and emphasised the importance of the deepening of regional integration and the advancement of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) for the economic well-being of all Member States. He made the remarks during an informal meeting on Thursday, with the staff at Guyana’s diplomatic mission in Barbados, as he encouraged them to understand their role in maintaining strong relations with their host country.

“If we are divided we will remain poor and we will remain powerless in the international community… We are a very proud people in the Caribbean but we are still a poor people. In Guyana my own mission is to lift people out of poverty and I am sure that in all of the Caribbean countries people are concerned about poverty. How do we do it? By combining our energies,” President Granger, who was accompanied by First Lady, Mrs. Sandra Granger declared.

The Head of State explained that on his assumption of the chairmanship of CARICOM, he plans to work with his counterparts in the region to continue to promote the establishment of the economic basis for Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) and integration.

“I have a duty now to continue the process, which was started between [President Forbes] Burnham and [Prime Minister Errol] Barrow in 1965, even before Guyana and Barbados became Independent. When I come here, I come to work I come to fulfill that mission to continue to bring Caribbean countries together. We have to establish the economic basis for the Caribbean Single Market and Economy for Caribbean integration. It’s not just about meeting. It’s not just about talks and conferences,” he said.