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Contact:
Rose Marie Harris
Wednesday, July 4, 2007 – Acting Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, the
Honourable Stephenson King says, his country's commitment to the ideals of
regionalism and to the deepening of the integration process of CARICOM will
increase.
Speaking at the official Opening Ceremony of the Twenty-Eighth Meeting of the
Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in
Barbados on July 1st. Mr. King said the change of Government in Saint
Lucia last December did not change the country's position in relation to the
Caribbean Community.
Mr. King who is deputising for Sir John Compton who is recuperating from recent
illness, cautioned the Community not to be complacent in the face of the
relatively trouble-free operation of the CARICOM Single Market since its
inception in January 2006 and urged that careful monitoring of the
implementation process be continued.
He further noted that the Government of Saint. Lucia continues to sensitise the
populace about the workings of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), and
the benefits that were likely to be derived from its implementation.
“It is our belief that there is no such thing as too much information. Indeed,
we have held the view that while some valuable work has been done in the Region
to sensitise our people about this important matter, there is still a
significant void of information void remaining to be filled” Mr. King asserted.
The Saint Lucia acting Prime Minister expressed the hope that the Development
Fund, as well as the provisions of the Special Regime for Less Developed
Countries under Article 158 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, will become
operational very quickly.
The Twenty-Eighth Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the
Caribbean Community is being convened under the umbrella theme of functional
cooperation, with special emphasis on critical areas of human and social
development, such as education and health.
The Conference ends on July 4, 2007.
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