Countries to advance diplomacy, bilateral agreements at CARICOM heads meeting

Several delegates attending the 30th Inter-sessional Meeting of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Heads from February 26-27 at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort are expected to engage in several side meetings to advance diplomacy and bilateral agreements.

During the [February 20], sitting of Parliament, Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis and Chairman of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM, Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris highlighted some of the more important events scheduled during the meetings.

“We are expecting on the 25th February 2019, that there will be a Caucus of OECS Heads. We are expecting that Dr. Mukhisa Kituyi, Secretary General of UNCTAD – which is the United Nations’ main body dealing with Trade Investment and Development – will have an audience with the CARICOM Heads,” said Prime Minister Harris. “There will be several signing ceremonies taking place in the margins of the Heads (meeting), some with respect to matters of health and some with respect to financing for small businesses. The Heads will engage members of the regional private sector especially on the subject of regional transportation.”

UNCTAD is a permanent inter-governmental body established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1964. Currently, it has 195 member states.

Dr. Harris used the occasion to express thanks to the Planning Committee for the CARICOM meeting headed by Permanent Secretary, Kaye Bass, in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“Preparations have advanced to a satisfactory level and so I want to commend the CARICOM Secretariat and the local Organizing Committee for their excellent efforts in advancing this particular meeting to a place where we can feel assured that all will go well,” he added.

Prime Minister Harris confirmed that to date, over 150 delegates have registered across fifteen (15) Member States and Associate Member States with the expectation of at least eight international and regional organizations to attend the special meeting.

“It is customary that for Heads of Government Meetings that we allow one guest and, in this regard, the special guest at this meeting is the President of Estonia H.E. Kersti Kaljulaid. Many diplomatic representatives also take the opportunity to meet with Heads and already we have indication that H.E. John Pilbeam, High Commissioner of Australia and H.E. Anton Ojala, High Commissioner of New Zealand will also be here,” he said, while encouraging citizens and residents to continue to extend the typical warm hospitality that the Federation is famously known for. This sincere hospitality has been often linked to return visit to our shores.

Additionally, there’s the 10th Special Meeting of the Community Council of Ministers on the 25th February and the OECS Commissioner’s Meeting on the 28th February.