CUBA, 2 July, 2007.- Saint Vincent and Grenadines' Prime Minister and President of CARICOM, Ralph Gonsalves, said this organization of Caribbean states will further encourage its relations with Cuba, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic in 2008 to the benefit of regional development. Gonsalves also announced that in 2008 CARICOM will continue supporting the creation of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) with a defined multilateral relation, trade agreements and important environmental accords. The intensification of cooperation among Caribbean nations is precisely the bottom line in the agenda of the CARICOM Conference of twenty eight Heads of State and/or Government to take place on July 1-4. During that meeting Barbadian Prime Minister, Owen Arthur, will assume CARICOM presidency. Mr. Arthur is currently in charge of giving a boost to the CSME and is actually responsible of the achievements of the Single Market already functioning in the area. The summit will also include highly topical subjects such as maritime and air transport, regional security, agriculture, free movement of the people in the area, as well as the establishment of a Found for Caribbean Development and an Agency for Regional Development. The opening ceremony will take place at the Parliament headquarters in Bridgetown and the lectures at the Barbados Hilton Hotel.(Cubaminrex-RHC)
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