Press release 130/2001
(18 October 2001)

Honourable Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis
Honourable Ministers of CARIFORUM
Distinguished Director of the European Commission for West and Central Africa and the Caribbean
Other Heads of CARIFORUM Delegation
Mr. Secretary-General
Members of the Diplomatic Corps
Distinguished Delegates
Members of the Media
Ladies and Gentlemen

It is with pleasure that I welcome you all and especially our partners from the European Community to Saint Lucia for this joint CARIFORUM/European Commission Meeting, the second since the signing of the Contonou Agreement, we are particularly happy to welcome all of you to the acknowledged Helen of the West and feel honoured to have been afforded this opportunity to host such an important meeting.

Our Meeting is taking place at a time when the value of our cooperation could not be more evident and whatever the difficulties we may encounter in its implementation we can have no doubt of the mutual advantage accruing to our peoples from our historic relationship.

To our partners who have journeyed from Europe to be with us I wish to extend a special invitation to you to explore beyond the confines of this conference room the beauty of Saint Lucia. The warmth and charm of its people and feel the vibrancy of its culture. You would observe that I have made no such offer to my colleagues from the Caribbean. That is because they have had a standing invitation and are already well ahead in that regard. They need no further invitation. In any case extending one now would be late.

Our work here today is centred on the updating of the progress being made on our projects and programmes under the previous Lome Conventions and on the laying of the platform for our future cooperation under the current Contonou agreement is of fundamental importance and significance.

Barely a month ago, the world experienced perhaps the greatest peace time disaster of modern times if not of all times. We continue to reel under the shock of that September 11 catastrophe and its sequel. It has had ripple effects. In deed. Tremors for our economy and society as indeed for large part of the world One factor which has helped to sustain our societies and economy during this terrible time is the existence and contribution of this relationship.

We, therefore today need to proceed with the strengthening of our cooperation. It is to that end that we have gathered here. All of one mind and determination and we are confident that it is one shared by our European partners.

Indeed, we believe that no greater signal of this common commitment and determination could have been given than the participation by the Commissioner for Development himself in our meeting for the first time. We extend a hearty welcome to him and look forward to his contribution, interaction and continued relationship with our Region.

It is with these hopes and determination and the commitment that I invite you all to our deliberations today and I look forward to a most successful outcome.

I THANK YOU.