(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The agenda for the upcoming Inter-sessional Meeting of the Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) will focus heavily on the priorities and direction of the Community. This was agreed at a briefing meeting between the Chairman of CARICOM, Honourable Tillman Thomas, Prime Minister of Grenada and the acting CARICOM Secretary-General, Ambassador Lolita Applewhaite on Friday 4 February, in St George’s, Grenada.

Also in focus at the Twenty-Second Inter-sessional Meeting on 25-26 February in Grenada, will be the issue of governance which will carry forward the work undertaken under the tenure of the immediate past Chairman, the Prime Minister of Jamaica, Honourable Bruce Golding, and developments in Haiti.

The briefing at the Prime Minister’s Office in St George’s was the latest interaction between the acting Secretary-General and the Prime Minister since his assumption of duty as Chairman on 1 January.

The Chairman has also presided over a meeting of the Bureau of Heads of Government which comprises of the current Chairman, the immediate past Chairman Prime Minister Golding and the incoming Chairman, the Honourable Dr Denzil Douglas, Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis as well as the acting Secretary-General. The Bureau met by teleconference on 14 January to discuss matters related to developments in Haiti.

Ambassador Applewhaite was accompanied at the briefing of the Prime Minister by the Assistant Secretary Trade and Economic Integration, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, the Chef de Cabinet, Office of Secretary-General, Ms Glenda Itiaba and Adviser, Public Information, Mr. Leonard Robertson.

With respect to the Inter-sessional Meeting, the Secretariat had been consulting with the Chairman on the agenda following the meeting on 17 January of the Community Council Chaired by Grenada. That meeting identified the issues for attention and Friday’s meeting followed discussions between a team from the Secretariat and the organising committee of Grenada for the Inter-sessional Meeting.

Immediately preceding the Inter-sessional there will be a meeting of the Prime Ministerial Sub-committee on the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) on 24 February. This Sub-committee will be chaired by the Honourable Freundel Stuart, Prime Minister of Barbados, who has lead responsibility for the CSME portfolio in the CARICOM Heads of Government quasi-Cabinet. On that day there will also be a Special meeting of the Community Council which is chaired by the Government of Grenada.

Ambassador Applewhaite expressed her satisfaction with the arrangements being put in place for the series of meetings and agreed with the Prime Minister that this Inter-sessional Meeting presented an opportunity for the Community to revisit the vision of Grand Anse of 21 years ago.

Contact: www.caricom.org