(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) I would like to thank the organisers of this event for inviting me to share thoughts, ideas and information with you. I welcome this opportunity to have this dialogue with you today as this kind of forum has been a feature of my visits throughout the Community since assuming office last August. It is not my intention to deliver a speech to you this morning. Instead I look forward to the interaction with you to receive your views about CARICOM and your ideas about advancing the integration process.

​(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) I thank the Chancellor and the Vice Chancellor for inviting me to this ceremony this evening to herald the opening of the Regional Headquarters of the University of the West Indies (UWI). This splendid building itself is an example of the kind of collaboration among regional institutions, agencies, the private sector, private individuals and governments that must be fundamental to the integration process and the development of our Region.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) More than 150 persons from across the Region and beyond are expected in St. Kitts and Nevis Thursday and Friday for the Third Caribbean Sustainable Energy Forum (CSEF) and Exhibition.

Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, the Rt. Honourable Dr. Denzil Douglas, will deliver the keynote address and set the tone for the event which will be held at the St. Kitts Marriot Resort.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The Caribbean Community (CARICOM), in preparing for the one of its kind Connect the Americas Summit, set for Panama in July, is sending a strong and clear message to private sector and investment organizations that they are ready with viable, creative, cross-cutting regional and national development projects for funding.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Dr Heather Johnson, CARICOM Secretariat Deputy Program Manager, Youth Development was decorated in the Order of Grand Officer of the Yellow Star of the Republic of Suriname by the Government of Suriname, last week.

The Honour was conferred during the closing ceremony of the two-day CARICOM-UNASUR High Level Youth Exchange hosted by Suriname’s President, H.E. Desire Delano Bouterse.