Reprinted from Caribbean Net News
caribbeannetnews.com

CARICOM ministers' meeting with US Secretary of State 'instructive'
09-28-2006

UNITED NATIONS, New York: CARICOM Ministers met this week with United States Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and, according to Antigua and Barbuda's Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Justin Simon, the meeting was conducted in an atmosphere of cordiality and mutual respect.

"We were grateful for the opportunity to express CARICOM's concerns in respect of our trade issues with the United States, and to obtain assurances from the Secretary of State in respect of US security assistance for the Cricket World Cup events," Simon said.

Among the topics discussed were CARICOM's continued involvement in providing political and diplomatic support for Haiti in the wake of that country's return to democracy; security arrangements in the Caribbean sub-region for the Cricket World Cup 2007; a new and improved framework to enhance trade between CARICOM countries and the United States; and upcoming elections for the United Nations Security Council.

Two countries from the Latin American and Caribbean Region, Venezuela and Guatemala, are competing for a seat on the United Nations Security Council for the two-year term 2007-2009. In addressing the Minister and the other members of the CARICOM Council on Foreign Relations (COFCOR), Rice said, â€œI encourage you to think not about regional politics but about what the Security Council needs -- adding that the Security Council is the international community's most important body.

In addition, Simon and the other CARICOM Ministers discussed at length law enforcement and security arrangements in the region in the run-up to Cricket World Cup. The Secretary of State indicated that the United States government is to increase support for regional aviation safety oversight and for regional security in general. Rice also told the Council of Ministers that there is a need to improve coordination on security for next year's Cricket World Cup events.

On the issue of trade, the CARICOM Ministers underscored the importance of having a trade agreement with the United States and for there to be regular interface between CARICOM and the United States Trade Representative (USTR). The caucus of Ministers also indicated that the CARICOM Trade and Investment Council is soon to be reconvened and priority will be placed on hammering out a new trading agreement between the region and the United States.

The US Secretary of State assured Minister Simon and the other CARICOM Ministers that the region does have support on Capitol Hill, and that she would do what she can to mobilize this support. She also said that under the Bush administration support to the region has doubled.

CARICOM Ministers and the US Secretary of State welcomed the opportunity to meet and discuss matters of mutual interest in order to improve on US-CARICOM relations.