NASSAU, Bahamas – Prime Minister Bruce Golding, along with other leaders of the Caribbean region will be heading to Port-of Spain, Trinidad in April to continue discussions on a number of critical issues that continue to confront the region.
The issues up for further discussions include the rising oil prices, price increases, the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), the tourism industry and the issue of crime .
In a press briefing on Saturday(March 8) following the close of the 2-day inter-sessional meeting of Caricom Heads of Government in the Bahamas, Mr Golding said the implications and the implementation of the EPA needed to be further discussed to ensure that the region derives the benefits from the agreement . On the question of trade agreements, Mr Golding has been requested to set up a sub-committee of regional heads to undertake a review of the negotiating structures and he intends to make an interim report to the April meeting in Port-of -Spain.
Chairman of the Caricom meeting, Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham of the Bahamas, announced to the press conference that Jamaica’s Professor Rex Nettleford headed the list of four outstanding Caribbean citizens who will be awarded the Order of the Caribbean Community (OCC). The other three are Dr Nicholas Joseph Orville Liverpool of Dominica, George Lamming of Barbados and Brian Charles Lara of Trinidad and Tobago.
The conferment of these awards will take place at the 29th regular meeting in July 2008 in Antigua and Barbuda. He also announced that the Bahamas will be hosting the 2010 staging of the Carifesta X1 and that the heads had agreed to devote one day to a special session on tourism during their 29th meeting in July. Prime Minister Ingraham said tourism would be included as a permanent item on the agenda of the conference based on its importance to the region.
Prime Minister Golding and his team which consisted of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign affairs, Dr Ken Baugh, Industry Minister Karl Samuda , ambassadors and other top government officials, returned to the island on March 9.
