EPA signing to go ahead in Barbados next week
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| Published on Thursday, October 9, 2008 |
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BRIDGETOWN, Barbados: Despite dissension in some quarters, the signing of the CARIFORUM - European Community Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) will go ahead as planned next Wednesday, October 15, in Barbados.
This assertion was made Wednesday by Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and International Business, Donville Inniss.
“I want the message to go forth quite clearly that the EU-CARIFORUM EPA signing ceremony will take place in Barbados next Wednesday, October 15. The invitations have already gone out to our CARIFORUM partners and to our EU partners and we expect that all countries involved will be adequately represented at the signing ceremony next Wednesday. We don’t want any ambiguity about it,” he stressed.
While acknowledging that the EPA was not perfect, Minister Inniss underlined “it was the best that we could have at this point in time, and we need not delay it any further”.
In recounting his recent trip to the sixth African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Heads of Government Summit in Accra, Ghana, Minister Inniss noted that throughout the four-day meeting one topic that certainly came to the fore was that of the EPA.
“Barbados took the opportunity to remind the ACP gathering that these discussions had been ongoing for nearly four and a half years. All states had the opportunity to give their input and there was far and wide consultation within individual states in CARIFORUM and between CARIFORUM states and we have no reason not to proceed with an agreement that includes trade, goods and services,” he stated.
He noted that deliberations also centred on issues relating to human security and human development, millennium development goals and the rise in food prices and its resultant impact on the development of ACP states.
The EPA covers trade in goods, services and investments, and provides for development assistance to CARIFORUM countries. Under the proposed reciprocal pact, these countries will have access to markets in the EU and will also enjoy the duty- free right of entry to EU member-countries. | | | | Reads : 538 | | | |
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