Montserrat reaffirms commitment to Caricom

Thursday, January 22, 2004

BRADES, Montserrat (GIU): Montserrat's Chief Minister, Mr John Osborne, has reaffirmed his commitment to the island remaining as a full member of the Caribbean Community (Caricom).

"Montserrat needs to remain a part of Caricom because on our own are not going to be heard, we have to be heard through the group," Chief Minister Osborne told reporters during a media briefing Wednesday.

The Montserrat leader made the comment in reference to what he called the formation of major trade and economic blocs around the world.

"A lot of the aid that would probably come would probably come through Caricom and not via Montserrat. We cannot represent ourselves in those forums," said the Chief Minister.

He said it was in Montserrat's interest to seek the necessary entrustments from the United Kingdom to get fully involved in the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME) and the Caribbean Court of Justice.

At a meeting held in Montserrat last November and involving representatives from the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Caricom Secretariat, Chief Minister Osborne said that the people of Montserrat wanted to remain as part of the Caribbean family of countries.

Historical, geographical and cultural factors were cited as some of the major factors influencing the people's decision. 

Chief Minister Osborne said his government has requested the necessary entrustments from Her Majesty's Government but have not received them as yet.

He said the British government is looking at how much it is going to cost them for Montserrat to fully participate in the whole Caricom process.

"Montserrat cannot stand alone in the region… because no matter what you say the other independent countries like Antigua, Grenada, St Vincent and St Lucia are going to go together because they know that they are only able to survive where they have some unity among themselves and Montserrat and Anguilla and the others cannot be separated," said the Chief Minister.

The Montserrat leader says the UK government " has to find a way to assist us." 

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