The announcement was made during a recent visit to the country where a CARICOM delegation led by Carrington met with Surinamese bureaucrats on several issues relating to the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).

Carrington also announced the sitting of the CARICOM Competition Commission in Paramaribo by mid-2007.

The Secretary-General and his team met with the President, Ministers of Government, and senior government officials, Vice President, Ramdien Sardjoe, Chairman of the National Assembly, Paul Somohardjo, Members of the National Assembly, and delegation from the State Council, the Suriname Chambers of Commerce, the Trade and Industry Association, the Manufactures Association of Suriname, and was the guest of a business lunch hosted by the Central Bank of Suriname, the Bankers' Association, and the Association of Insurance Companies.

At a special evening session, the Secretary-General responded to in-depth and insightful questioning from students of the University of Suriname, Institute of International Relations, non governmental organisations and other parties interested in CARICOM issues.

A significant element of the Secretary-General's mission was the inclusion of the CARICOM Technical Working Group on Governance, led by its chairman Professor Vaughn Lewis, of the University of the West Indies, and including Professor Denis Benn, also of the University of the West Indies, and Dr. Barton Scotland, Legal and Foreign Affairs specialist.

The Secretary-General described participation in the CARICOM Single Market as "the way forward for the Caribbean Community". 

Suriname is one of the six original members of the CARICOM Single Market, along with Barbados, Belize, Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago.