Colleague Ministers
Heads of Delegation and Delegates
Secretary-General and staff of the Caribbean Community Secretariat
Officials of the Regional Negotiating Machinery
Representatives of Associated Institutions and especially the Private Sector
Members of the Press
Ladies, Gentlemen, Friends, Cuba and the Dominican Republic Representatives

A very pleasant morning to you all! Let me take this opportunity to extend to all of you best wishes and successes for the new year 2001.

Minister Ralph Fonseca has asked me to convey to you his warmest regard and best wishes for the new year. He is involved in budgetary exercises and post Hurricane Keith negotiations among other matters that exclude him from being here today. Please accept his deepest apologies.

But before I continue, first, allow me to convey warm congratulations to Minister Mervyn Assam of Trinidad and Tobago on the electoral victory of his Government. Welcome back, Minister.

When we last convened in Barbados on 16^th June of last year, and in our opening remarks, we made mention of the challenges confronting the region within the context of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the negotiations of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), and the negotiations with the European Union (EU) for the Partnership Agreement, all of which contain an element of reciprocity. We spoke of the role that the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) was expected to play in uniting the community, and in "improving the quality of life of the people of the region".

In a different tone, I recall vividly the devastation of Hurricane Keith on my own country of Belize. Ours is a true example of the "vulnerability of Small States to natural disasters". I wish to inform you that, according to the official assessment done by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the estimated damage to the infrastructure, agriculture, fisheries and tourism sectors amounted to US$280 million. Certainly we need the assistance and support of the "Friends of Belize" as we recover and rebuild.

And if this were not enough, we are confronted by the unjust and unfounded claim by Guatemala to approximately half of the land mass of Belize. At present we are pursuing a peaceful resolution to the whole issue through a mechanism of facilitators appointed by Belize and Guatemala as well as the implementation of confidence building measures involving both countries. Belize appreciates and is thankful for the continued solidarity and absolute support of the Caribbean Community on this very important issue.

Colleague Ministers, Heads of delegations, Ladies and Gentlemen, the Cotonou Agreement has been signed. Globalisation continues to be of paramount concern and as the EU seeks to "assist" LDCs of the world, we of the ACP are now confronted with the Lamy Proposal "Everything but Arms."

On bananas, Belize is quite pleased that after a long hiatus, the critical issue of the EU Banana Regime and the survival of the region's banana industry are once again being discussed in the region, at an appropriate level. We thank Suriname for suggesting its inclusion on the agenda of this meeting. The situation is far from ideal but I am afraid that we are partially responsible for this predicament. Unfortunately, we allowed commercial interests to take over what should have been a joint effort at regional consensus building and lobbying a true Caribbean position. As we are at a critical stage, the issue must once be brought back to the region to be raised at a political level. We therefore suggest that our intervention on this issue be directed towards this goal.

This COTED meeting now allows us the opportunity to take stock of our accomplishments and to further address all these realities as we continue to put the interest of our Caribbean peoples first as recommended on taking the Chair last year. If the results of the Meetings do not provide our people with a better quality of life, we are on the road of a futile errand.

To our incoming Chairman, Minister Osborne Riviere, Dominica, I pledge my support and that of my Government. I also thank colleague Ministers, Heads of delegations, delegates, Secretary-General and his staff, officials of the Regional Negotiating Machinery and all for the support you have given Minister Fonseca as Chairman.

Thank you.