Caricom maintains independence in external negotiations

GEORGETOWN—The 15-nation Caribbean Community (Caricom) will be funding all future negotiations itself, according to Guyana’s Foreign Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett. She recently informed the 65-seat National Assembly, current negotiations between Caricom and Canada for a Trade and Development Agreement are being funded by the region. 

Rodrigues-Birkett’s statement came in the form of a written response to a series of questions by opposition front-bencher Carl Greenidge, who was previously a senior negotiator with Caricom’s Office of Trade Negotiations (OTN).

This stance comes as concerns linger that the Caribbean Forum countries might have been compromised in their negotiating abilities since the rounds of negotiations leading up to the 2008 Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between them and the European Union (EU) were in fact funded by the EU.She recently informed the 65-seat National Assembly, current negotiations between Caricom and Canada for a Trade and Development Agreement are being funded by the region. 

Rodrigues-Birkett’s statement came in the form of a written response to a series of questions by opposition front-bencher Carl Greenidge, who was previously a senior negotiator with Caricom’s Office of Trade Negotiations (OTN).

This stance comes as concerns linger that the Caribbean Forum countries might have been compromised in their negotiating abilities since the rounds of negotiations leading up to the 2008 Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between them and the European Union (EU) were in fact funded by the EU.