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COTED Chair urges decisive action on urgent trade and economic issues

(Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) - The Chair of the CARICOM Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED), Hon. Kerrie Symmonds has emphasised the critical role of the Council as businesses reel from the turbulence in the global trading system.

CARICOM Secretary-General receives courtesy visit from Guyana's Dr Muhammad Ibrahim, candidate for Director-General of IICA

The Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Dr. Carla Barnett, on Tuesday 10 June, received a courtesy visit from Dr Muhammad Ibrahim, who has announced his candidacy for the position of Director-General of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA). The Government of Guyana has presented Dr Ibrahim’s candidacy, describing him as "uniquely qualified". Dr Ibrahim's international career spans more than 35 years as an academic and as a professional implementing technical cooperation programmes.

Remarks by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Barbados, Hon. Kerrie Symmonds, Chair of Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED), at the 60th Regular Meeting of the COTED | 10 June 2025 | Georgetown, Guyana

Colleagues Ministers, Excellencies, Heads of Delegations, representatives of regional institutions, it is my pleasure to welcome you today to this the 60th COTED Meeting.

I want to begin by thanking the Secretary-General and CARICOM Secretariat as a whole, for the excellent arrangements in place for us to gather here at the Secretariat and virtually.

CARICOM SG urges trade ministers to explore new trade markets as COTED meets in Guyana

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) - The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretary-General, Dr. Carla Barnett, on Tuesday urged regional trade ministers to deepen existing markets, explore new ones, and diversify economic relations in response to evolving geopolitical and tariff challenges.

Speaking at the opening of the 60th Regular Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) on June 10, Dr. Barnett emphasised the need to strengthen regional production and seize new trade opportunities.

Senior CARIFORUM officials prepare for Ministerial Meeting

(CARIFORUM Directorate, CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) - Senior CARIFORUM officials met recently to formulate recommendations to the Council of Ministers of CARIFORUM on the operations of CARIFORUM, the Economic Partnership Agreements, the Samoa Agreement and CARIFORUM-EU Development Cooperation, among other matters.

COTED to convene 60th Regular Meeting in Georgetown

(Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) - The Sixtieth (60th) Regular Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) is scheduled to take place in Georgetown, Guyana, 10-11 June, under the chairmanship of the Hon. Kerrie Symmonds, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Barbados.

The CARICOM Secretary-General, Dr Carla Barnett and the COTED Chair will deliver remarks at the opening session of the Meeting.

Wider Caribbean cooperation being enhanced with European Union support

(CARIFORUM Directorate, CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) - On Monday June 2, the Programme Steering Committee of the 11th EDF Wider Caribbean Cooperation Project, funded by the European Union (EU), convened to review the implementation of the programme and provided guidance to implementing partners on sustaining its benefits.