News: OECS members set conditions for CSM

(TTG 03/07/2006) St Kitts - Caricom leaders in the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, who have recently been hesitant to implement the Caricom Single Market, are now moving to do so at today’s start of the 27th annual Caricom summit—but “with conditions,” according to Grenada’s Prime Minister Dr Keith Mitchell.

Mitchell spoke to reporters yesterday as leaders arrived in St Kitts for the 27th regional Heads of Government caucus which features a packed agenda from Haiti to World Cup Cricket 2007 preparations.

The ceremonial opening of the summit takes place at 4 pm today at the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank.

Prime Minister Patrick Manning, who is among speakers, is expected to reveal details of last week’s trip to Washington where he met US Government officials as Caricom head.

Manning hands over chairmanship of Caricom today to St Kitts Prime Minister Dr Denzil Douglas.

Leaders will hold business sessions at the St Kitts Marriott Resort tomorrow and adjourn for an all-day private retreat on the neighbouring island of Nevis on Wednesday. (Leaders have chartered the vessel which ferries passengers to Nevis to ensure they are not disturbed.)

The CSME remains top priority on their agenda particularly in view of recent concerns that some OECS states in Caricom may not want to implement it. The mechanism was launched in January with participation from six states of the 14-member community signing on—T&T, Jamaica, Barbados, Belize, Guyana and Suriname.

The Bahamas, Haiti and Monsterrat did not sign in January.

Six Eastern Caribbean countries—Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts/Nevis , St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines—signed a letter of intent to join by June 30.

But concerns have been voiced among these OECS states—up to recently by St Vincent Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves—about the move.

Some territories have questioned the real benefit of the CSME and it has sparked much media debate in the OECS, a sub-regional grouping.

Yesterday, however, Caricom Secretary General Dr Edwin Carrington, speaking about the main agenda item, stressed:

“First of all, we hope that all members will be signing on to the Single Market...It appears that matters are being organised, satisfactorily to the others, to allow them to become members.

“We are still awaiting confirmation but we expect to move beyond that to chart the course to a single economy,” he added.

Grenada Prime Minister Mitchell hinted that the matter may be resolved.

“We expect to be signing on at Monday’s ceremonial launch of the summit—but with conditions,” he said.

“There are still some concerns by some members about the legislation to be passed.”

Carrington said the second priority agenda item is likely to be Haiti, whose re-entry to Caricom today after a two-year suspension—pending its elections—will make the summit an especially significant one for the regional community.

Haitian Prime Minister Rene Preval is among speakers at today’s opening ceremony.

Members of the T&T delegation to the summit believe Haiti will indeed be a major discussion item in terms of economic support since Caricom leaders have in the past spoken about assisting the country once elections were held.

“So Caricom may well have to step up to the bat now,” a TT Government source added.

Changes in the geopolitical environment and the influence of energy may also resurrect Venezuela’s controversial PetroCaribe which caused tensions at last year’s summit due to T&T’s stance against it.

Carrington said the only concern by T&T in the issue was now that T&T has lost that share of the market, this country may be looking for other markets.

“For the time being that seems okay,” he added.

Yesterday, leaders held a subcommittee meeting on external trade negotiations chaired by Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller who makes her summit debut at this conference.