NASSAU, Bahamas:
CARICOM AND the United States (U.S.) agreed yesterday to strengthen cooperation. This came out of a meeting in The Bahamas between CARICOM Foreign Ministers and U.S. Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice.
The ministers and the Secretary of State recognised the common democratic values and traditions that have historically linked the peoples of the United States and the Caribbean.
ISSUES DISCUSSED
They discussed such key issues as support for the democratically-elected Government of Haiti; CARICOM integration, including the establishment of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy and trade competitiveness; the link between development and democracy; security cooperation and disaster preparedness.
Secretary Rice welcomed CARICOM's decision to re-engage Haiti, and to provide assistance for its institutional development. Both parties agreed on the importance of the international community remaining engaged in Haiti over the long term, in order to promote stability and socio-economic progress.
The ministers and the Secretary Rice reviewed initiatives to promote regional economic reform and integration, and underscored the importance of free trade as an engine of economic growth and development. They noted the significant progress made in restructuring the economies of the region through the creation of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy - a vital component of which is a regional Development Fund.
