ST JOHN'S, Antigua -- Antigua and Barbuda on Wednesday became the third country within the OECS to sign on to the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA) during a ceremony in Venezuela. Prime MInister Spencer during his statement at the singing ceremony said that the country's accession to... read more...

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CASTRIES, St Lucia -- The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) marked its 28th anniversary on Thursday, June 18, 2009. Activities to mark the occasion include the regional launch of an animated television series called “U” which highlights the benefits of OECS integration to citizens of the sub-region. read more...

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KINGSTOWN, St Vincent -- Libya is to set up a commercial bank in the OECS region. The decision was taken in Libya following discussions St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves had with Libyan leader, Muammar Al Gaddafi, in Tripoli, Libya's capital. read more...

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PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad -- Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Patrick Manning wants a political union in the region, and he is convening a special convention of his People´s National Movement (PNM) on June 21 to discuss the issue. The PM said the party had perused, last Sunday, a document on regional integration. read more...

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TORTOLA, BVI -- OECS Heads of Government wrapped up their 49th Meeting in Tortola, British Virgin Islands on May 22, calling it a watershed in the historical evolution of the organization. Heads noted the enhanced international profile of the Organisation which has resulted from the repositioning of the OECS. read more...

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PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad -- Opposition leader Basdeo Panday said that Trinidad and Tobago should not join political and economic union with the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) without a referendum. He said that it is a very serious matter, which should be decided by the electorate. read more...

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BASSETERRE, St Kitts (CUOPM) -- St Kitts and Nevis and other member states of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) have been asked to examine the feasibility of establishing arrangements for joint procurement of sand cement, steel and high quality lumber. read more...

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BRADES, Montserrat (OCM) -- Montserrat is partnering with the Export Development Unit (EDU) of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) secretariat to design and develop a comprehensive action plan for audio-visual industries in the OECS member states. A team of two consultants... read more...

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BASSETERRE, St Kitts (CUOPM) -- Closer functional co-operation between the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and the United States Virgin Islands was discussed during the just concluded 49th Meeting OECS Heads of Government in Tortola, British Virgin Islands. read more...

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ROAD TOWN, BVI -- The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) reportedly had a successful meeting in Tortola, BVI, and issued a lengthy 14-page release on matters discussed and decisions taken. The first was the taking of the chairmanship by Montserrat Chief Minister, Dr Lowell Lewis. read more...

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ROAD TOWN, BVI -- British Virgin Islands Premier Ralph O'Neal spoke about the Organisation of the Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) in his presentation at the opening ceremony of the 49th conference of the sub-regional body being held in Tortola. He said he was pleased with the operations of the OECS. read more...

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ST GEORGE’S, Grenada (OPM) -- Speaking on Wednesday in the BVI, outgoing chairman of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), Grenada’s Prime Minister Tillman Thomas, has called for a deepening of the unity that characterized the sub region’s response to the global financial crisis. read more...

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ROAD TOWN, BVI -- The 49th meeting of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) is now underway in Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. The conference began with a ceremonial opening at the H Lavity Stoutt Community College on Wednesday afternoon. Business sessions will start on Thursday. read more...

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CASTRIES, St Lucia -- Implications of the global and regional financial crisis for OECS economies will be among matters facing OECS Heads of Government when they meet in Tortola, British Virgin Islands, for the 49th Meeting of the OECS Authority, May 20 to 22. The meeting will consider the effects of the financial crisis. read more...

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KINGSTOWN, St Vincent -- Tourism Ministers of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) met in regular session at their 8th OECS Council of Tourism Ministers Meeting, held in St Vincent and the Grenadines on April 21, 2009. The main purposes of the meeting were to track progress... read more...

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CASTRIES, St Lucia -- Consumers in the OECS are in a position to gain from reduced prices recently obtained for additional medical products under the OECS PPS bulk purchasing arrangement. Officials from the OECS Pharmaceutical Procurement Service (OECS PPS) have observed that in some cases... read more...

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PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad -- A US$50 million rescue of CL Financial subsidiaries British American and CLICO in the OECS countries are necessary, given the impact of the failure of these companies on territories that are major markets for local manufacturers, Trinidad and Tobago Finance Minister Karen Nunez-Tesheira said. read more...

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CASTRIES, St Lucia -- Senior officials, from key agencies involved in trade in Dominica, met with OECS officials to discuss the establishment of a national coordinating body on trade facilitation late last month. The presentations and discussion focussed on Trade Facilitation in the context of customs reform. read more...

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CASTRIES, St Lucia: In the second in a series of consultations on the WTO’s Doha Development Agenda (DDA), the OECS Secretariat will bring Trade and Fisheries Officials from OECS-WTO members to St John’s, Antigua on 8-9th April, to discuss rules for the treatment of fisheries subsidies. read more...

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ROAD TOWN, BVI: Nine Eastern Caribbean states and territories are incorporated in the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC), and the governments want to ensure that laws and regulations for these territories are harmonised. Attorneys general for six countries and territories met recently in St Lucia read more...

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ROSEAU, Dominica: As many as one hundred and sixty people representing youth organisations and village councils in the north of Dominica are expected to assemble in Portsmouth on Tuesday for a public dialogue on OECS Economic Union  as part of the process of widespread consultation across the sub-region. read more...

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CASTRIES, St Lucia: Officials from trade, agriculture and the private sector will meet in Roseau, Dominica to deliberate on the implications of the WTO negotiations for the OECS and strategise for their continued participation. The meeting takes place March 31 - April 1 and will cover trade in agricultural and industrial products. read more...

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KINGSTOWN, St Vincent: The Trinidad and Tobago Cabinet is reported to have voted to give cash to help out British American Insurance policy holders in the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). Last month, the Trinidad and Tobago Government rushed to the rescue of CL Financial, which operates CLICO. read more...

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CASTRIES, St Lucia: Members of the Trade Facilitation Task Force of Saint Lucia met for their first team-building activity on March 19, 2009. The activity received support from the OECS Secretariat and UNCTAD and was organised by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Consumer Affairs. read more...

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CASTRIES, St Lucia: The OECS Family Law and Domestic Violence Reform Project as well as, the establishment of the Eastern Caribbean Competition Commission are among priority issues set for discussion at the 15th meeting of the OECS Legal Affairs Committee from March 24-25th in Saint Lucia. read more...

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The members of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States should move to establish immediately two separate bodies to regulate domestic non-bank financial institutions and the offshore financial services sector. In turn, these new bodies should work closely with the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB). read more...

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CASTRIES, St Lucia: Experts in the OECS Energy Sector have been advised to keep on the front burner a possible return of the spiraling cost of fuel. The signal comes from a representative of the Washington based World Bank who addressed a meeting of stakeholders in the OECS energy sector on Monday in St Lucia. read more...

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CASTRIES, St Lucia: OECS Chairman, Prime Minister Tillman Thomas of Grenada feels the current global economic downturn makes now an even more opportune time for small countries like those in the OECS to strengthen ties and work closer together. Thomas delivered the feature address... read more...

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BASSETERRE, St Kitts (CUOPM): St Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Denzil Douglas praised local workers and management on Wednesday for making the twin-island Federation the largest exporter of goods to the United States amongst the OECS and Barbados. St Kitts-Nevis exports to the US were valued at US$54m. read more...

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ST GEORGE'S, Grenada (GIS): The countries of the OECS are faced with tremendous challenges and crises for which they must find answers as a group, a top regional bureaucrat has said. Sir Dwight Venner, Governor of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, made the comment on Tuesday. read more...

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BASSETERRE, St Kitts: The leader of the opposition People's Action Movement (PAM) has written to the chairman of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) about the electoral process in St Kitts and Nevis. PAM's leader Lindsay Grant says he is concerned that there might be attempts at fraud. read more...

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ST JOHN’S, Antigua: In a dramatic move over the weekend, the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) has exercised emergency powers to take over the Bank of Antigua that was part of the empire of Texan financier, Allen Stanford, currently facing fraud charges involving some US$9 billion. read more...

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ST JOHN'S, Antigua (Reuters): Antigua and Barbuda appointed a receiver on Friday to take control of the bank and a trust company operated by Texas billionaire Allen Stanford in the Caribbean nation, authorities said. Also the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank said it was assuming control of the Bank of Antigua. read more...

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BASSETERRE, St Kitts: The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) said it has noted with concern the situation surrounding the Stanford International Bank, an offshore bank registered in Antigua and Barbuda with international affiliates. The Bank of Antigua is also owned by the Stanford Group. read more...

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CASTRIES, St Lucia: The OECS Secretariat, on Thursday, February 5 signed a collaboration agreement with the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) which provides for nationals of the OECS Member States who enroll at the UPR to be accorded the same status as Puerto Rican students. read more...

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BASSETERRE, St Kitts: At a special meeting of the ECCB Monetary Council held on Tuesday, members met to discuss the impact of recent developments with respect to the CL Financial Group, possible implications for the ECCU, and action which may be required. Council agreed there was a need to address the matter. read more...

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BRADES, Montserrat: The government of Montserrat is spearheading the establishment of an OECS Climate Change Centre at the summit of the Silver Hills in the extreme north of this volcanic island, a significant distance away from the Soufrière Hills Volcano now in its thirteenth year of eruption. read more...

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CASTRIES, St Lucia: The OECS Secretariat, on Wednesday January 21 received Jesus Silva as the Permanent Representative of Spain to the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States. In the first ever ceremony of its kind held at the OECS Secretariat, Ambassador Silva presented his letters of credence. read more...

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BASSETERRE, St Kitts (CUOPM): Officials from Ministries of Finance, Works, Housing and the private and banking sectors are to meet to craft a strategy for ensuring that the construction sector makes a greater contribution to the subregional grouping. The officials will meet in St Vincent in March. read more...

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BASSETERRE, St Kitts: Special Joint Meeting of the OECS Authority and the ECCB Monetary Council was held at the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank in St Kitts and Nevis on 15-16 January 2009. The Special Meeting followed a recommendation from the 63rd Meeting of the ECCB Monetary Council on 24 October 2008. read more...

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