Georgetown: As Chair of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED), Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Minister of Foreign Affairs (Guyana) and Chair of COTED said the principal engagement at COTED is about the improvement of the living standards of people and the advancement of one Caribbean society.
“We are certainly not short on vision, on orators and great speeches. Already we are much involved in reviewing and updating the Revised Treaty. We have to ensure that we accelerate implementation.” She underscored. “The only direction for the Caribbean Community is forward – in all respects of the Treaty’s declared promises and common goals. The Caribbean’s history is replete with instances of regional leadership in the global community. We must rediscover the region’s natural instinct to lead and not merely follow. We are small but not insignificant.
She said the private sector which is the engine of growth, jobs and innovation along with regional private sector bodies are the future captains of Caribbean industry. “Their belief in and commitment to the Caribbean project is essential to the success and sustainability of the region’s integration. We must convince them. We must win them over.”
“Let us engage our universities and technical colleges – to harness the relevant human resources and trade capacity building. Let us strengthen our partnership with the regional media to regroup and rebuild the regional integration message. Let us energize our external trade policy and explore opportunities in our neighbourhood in South America. Let us deepen our trade and investment relations with ACP partners.” She added
You must be logged in to post a comment.