President Ramotar declares Guyana fully committed to CARICOM
PRESIDENT Donald Ramotar said, yesterday, that Guyana remains fully committed to CARICOM and regional integration. He gave the commitment when talking about his attendance at the first Caribbean Community Heads of Government meeting, held earlier this month in neighbouring Suriname.
Speaking to the media at a briefing in Office of the President, Shiv Chanderpaul Drive, Georgetown, the Head of State said, at the 23rd Inter-Sessional Conference, under the chairmanship of Suriname’s President Desiré Bouterse, they were able to engage in some very focused and frank discussions over the two-day period, on key issues relating to the integration process.
Referring to the report commissioned by the Heads, on the restructuring of the CARICOM Secretariat, he said this has formed the basis for “us to move forward to examine the recommendations and to implement those which can be implemented within the shortest possible time.”
“…while we review others which would require deeper analysis before either adopting them or agreeing that they would not be necessary to the process for change at this time,” he explained.
President Ramotar said: “In any event, we agreed CARICOM was not in crisis as was being sensationalised. Actually, the report itself sensationalised it, talking about the crisis in CARICOM. Of course, one must acknowledge that there are problems but these are not insurmountable and solutions, to my mind, could be readily achievable through stronger political will and a renewed commitment to integration.”
Examine possibilities
Mr. Ramotar said he suggested to his colleague Heads that they needed to examine possibilities that could strengthen the integration process while working to correct some things.
He added that Guyana was fully supportive of the Secretary General being given the approval to appoint a change agent to move ahead with restructuring as well as the process to draft a five-year strategic plan in time for consideration at their next meeting.
“Let me reiterate that Guyana remains fully committed to CARICOM and to regional integration,” President Ramotar stated.
He said the issues of governance of cricket, at the national and regional levels, also generated much discussion, as expected.
The situation relating to cricket in Guyana was presented by the country’s delegation, President Ramotar said, noting they highlighted that, in setting up the Interim Management Committee, the Government acted in accordance with the ruling of its court.
“And that it was necessary for the West Indies Cricket Board, to implement the recommendations of the Patterson Report, especially the core recommendations that deal with the restructuring towards better governance, transparency and accountability,” he continued.
Mr. Ramotar reported that the summit agreed the Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee on Cricket would address all the issues that were plaguing the sport in the region.
According to him: “Guyana, as a member of that committee, will ensure its full support to the work of that body with its broadened mandate.”
He said, too, that Guyana was pleased to join in giving its full endorsement to the initiative, proposed by Suriname, for the development of CARICOM enterprises.
Potential vehicle
“We are of the view that we have resources in the region that can be used more fully to the benefit of the region. This is a potential vehicle to deepen our integration process,” he posited.
As such, President Ramotar said Guyana requested to sit on the task force that has been set up by the Heads, with Suriname as the Chair, to further develop this initiative.
He said issues of regional crime and security also engaged their attention and it was agreed that this should remain with attention focused on review of the security institutions.
He said the United Nations Conference on Environment and Sustainable Development, scheduled for June this year, in Rio de Janiero, Brazil, is important and the Heads should review their preparations for this event.
He said they have requested that a special meeting of the COTED (Council for Trade and Economic Development) be held to assist in this process.

“This is a particularly important meeting for Guyana, as we intend to use this opportunity to further promote our advances with regard to the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS),” he pointed out.
President Ramotar revealed that the President of the Republic of Chile, Mr. Sebastian Pinera Enchenique met with them and he had a bilateral meeting with him, during which they discussed matters on the regional agenda as well as areas in which they can advance a programme of cooperation between Guyana and Chile.
“We agreed that there was much potential in agricultural areas and in the mining sector,” Mr. Ramotar said, adding that Chile will host the first Summit of the Latin American and Caribbean Community of Nations next year January, for which President Pinera has extended an invitation for him to attend.
The Guyanese Head of State commended President Bouterse on the excellent arrangements which were put in place to host the Suriname meeting.
Mr. Ramotar also took the opportunity to announce that he will, shortly, be heading to Antigua for a meeting of a special Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee on Cricket in the region and then to Brazil for a working visit, at the invitation of President Dilma Rousseff.