Acting Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, the Honorable Stephenson King says, his country’s commitment to the ideals of regionalism and to the deepening of the integration process of CARICOM will increase.
Speaking at the official Opening Ceremony of the Twenty-Eighth Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in Barbados on July 1st. Mr. King said the change of Government in Saint Lucia last December did not change the country’s position in relation to the Caribbean Community.
Mr. King who is deputizing for Sir John Compton who is recuperating from recent illness, cautioned the Community not to be complacent in the face of the relatively trouble-free operation of the CARICOM Single Market since its inception in January 2006 and urged that careful monitoring of the implementation process be continued.
He further noted that the Government of Saint. Lucia continues to sensitize the populace about the workings of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), and the benefits that were likely to be derived from its implementation.
“It is our belief that there is no such thing as too much information. Indeed, we have held the view that while some valuable work has been done in the Region to sensitize our people about this important matter, there is still a significant void of information void remaining to be filled” Mr. King asserted.
The Saint Lucia acting Prime Minister expressed the hope that the Development Fund, as well as the provisions of the Special Regime for Less Developed Countries under Article 158 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, will become operational very quickly.
The Twenty-Eighth Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community is being convened under the umbrella theme of functional cooperation, with special emphasis on critical areas of human and social development, such as education and health.
