• by IPS Correspondents (kingston)
• Friday, November 18, 1994
• Inter Press Service

KINGSTON, Nov 18 (IPS) - Caribbean Community (Caricom) heads of governments, meeting in Kingston this week trying to reach a common position for the upcoming summit of the Americas, feel their concerns are not being taken seriously in Washington.

Edwin Carrington, Caricom's Secretary-General told reporters at the start of this week's summit that he is still uncertain of the extent to which the region's concerns would be reflected in the revised agenda.

"We are not in control of the meeting although we are trying to formulate a common position," he said.

"It is estimated that there will be a month-end session where all heads are expected to sign a document, but the trouble is this will be the first time we will be coming together as a group and that will be to sign the document," he added.

The regional leaders, who will Friday wind up their two-day meeting are likely to come away renewing the region's demand for favourable trading arrangements.

Caricom, a trade and functional co-operation grouping of English- speaking Caribbean countries, had earlier rejected the original draft agenda prepared by the United States and had submitted their own suggestions for inclusion on the document.

The summit, proposed by U.S. President Bill Clinton, will discuss issues of hemispheric importance, but regional leaders say a few of their concerns such as the debt question have been ignored.

The 13 members of Caricom with a total population of 5.5 million have a combined foreign debt of some 9.2 billion dollars.

Caribbean governments have also been in dialogue with Non- Governmental Organisations (NGOs), the private sector as well as academics in their various countries in an effort to be in a position to reflect adequately their concerns in the decisions taken in Miami at the December meeting.

The issue if trade is expected to be a major item on the Agenda. Caricom has already attended a meeting on trade in Washington but Carrington says he is not sure that the position put forward by the 13-member grouping would be taken.

Caricom also wants the issue of banana quotas to figure prominently on the agenda, as the Eastern Caribbean countries in particular fight to maintain the lifeblood of their economies.

© Inter Press Service (2014) — All Rights Reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service

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