President Ramotar proposes new cooperation blocs – as ECLAC seeks solutions to modern challenges
Georgetown, GINA, May 31, 2012
President Donald Ramotar with participants of the 24th session of the Caribbean Development Cooperation Committee (CDCC) of the Economic Commission of Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)
President Donald Ramotar has suggested the adoption of broader cooperation with different blocs for Caribbean and Latin American countries looking for solutions to the current challenges that still impede their development.
The Guyanese Head of State was at the time addressing delegates of the 24th session of the Caribbean Development Cooperation Committee (CDCC) of the Economic Commission of Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) who gathered at the Guyana International Conference Centre (GICC) today.
In his feature address, President Ramotar said such blocs can be found “right in our neighbourhood” and pointed to countries in South America which he said have regretfully, been treated with ‘isolation for centuries’.
“Right on the borders of Guyana lies Brazil, which is now the fifth largest economy in the world, with a huge population South of us, Argentina, Chile (are also) powerful economies,” President Ramotar said.
Guyana is the closest to Brazil and is seen by the rest of CARICOM as a gateway to South America with endless possibilities for trade relations since the construction of the bridge across the Takutu River separating the two countries.
President Donald Ramotar speaking at the 24th session of the Caribbean Development Cooperation Committee (CDCC) of the Economic Commission of Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)
President Ramotar believes that the CARICOM/South America synergy can augment the Caribbean region’s integration agenda, simultaneous to efforts to strengthen relations with neighbours in the north.
Guyana/Brazil relations
The Brazil/Guyana relations were hailed by Director of the Economic Commission of Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) Sub-regional Headquarters for the Caribbean Dianne Quarles who said that the region has taken note of the increase in trade, employment, investment and technological cooperation opportunities since the Takutu Bridge opened.
“These are foundations for widening the integration of Latin America and the Caribbean,” Quarles said.
When the officials opened their discussion today, the current challenges facing the regions were fully acknowledged.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett speaking at the 24th session of the Caribbean Development Cooperation Committee (CDCC) of the Economic Commission of Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)
Minister of Foreign Affairs Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett and Grenada’s Minister of Youth Empowerment and Sport and outgoing CDCC Chairman Patrick Simon pointed to the global economic and financial crisis from which many member states are still recovering.
CARICOM Secretary General Irwin LaRocque pointed to international market pressures and natural disasters among the current challenges which the CARICOM region has to face, regrettably with limited capacity.
President Ramotar argued that vulnerability among small island and developing states is often measured by the level of volatility overseas.
Director of the ECLAC Sub-regional Headquarters for the Caribbean Dianne Quarles addressing delegates at the 24th session of the Caribbean Development Cooperation Committee (CDCC)
“Right now we are feeling the effects of the financial and economic crisis, we’ve had fuel crisis, we have had rising food prices and more recently we have had problems of crime and climate change… in many cases we are feeling the effects of these crises all of which have their origins outside of our borders. Clearly this tells our dependence on international trade and international cooperation,” President Ramotar said.
Guyana had its own experience with such phenomena, when the new European Union (EU) sugar protocol resulted in the country losing $9B in revenue from sugar exports and most CARICOM member states are still in recovery from the global economic and financial crisis.
Integration
Such circumstances have resulted in many countries in the Caribbean and Latin America joining the list of the most heavily indebted in the world but, President Ramotar acknowledged that severing ties with outside connections would not be in the best interest of the region since international trade plays a crucial role in some economies.
A section of the gathering at the 24th session of the Caribbean Development Cooperation Committee (CDCC) of the Economic Commission of Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)
He believes however, that the situation presents a strong case for integration which he regarded as a mechanism to influence international affairs.
“We need integration in our region if we are going to survive in the competitive world that we face. Only through greater integration would we be able to become important players in international affairs and give ourselves some possibility of influencing things that are affecting us in many ways,” President Ramotar said.
Today’s agenda culminated two important diplomatic meetings in Guyana which began yesterday with the Caribbean Development Roundtable (CDR) that focused on policies and strategies intended to stimulate innovative thinking in the search for solutions to current development challenges.