Press Release:-  As the Thirty-Ninth Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM convenes in Montego Bay, Jamaica, Prime Minister Honourable Allen Chastanet has expressed plans to have in-depth discussions with counterparts about the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME), among other concerns.

Ahead of the meeting, Prime Minister Chastanet explained that “Saint Lucia is going to this meeting with a clear agenda that it cannot be business as usual.”

Prime Minister Chastanet aims to discuss the fairness of the CSME model as well as areas such as Security and Climate Change.

The Meeting of Heads of CARICOM is taking place from 4 – 6 July 2018, under the Chairmanship of the Prime Minister of Jamaica, Honourable Andrew Holness. The Saint Lucia delegation also includes Minister with responsibility for External Affairs, Honourable Sarah Flood-Beaubrun and Saint Lucia’s Ambassador to CARICOM, Her Excellency Elma Gene Isaac.

Heads of Government will meet in Plenary and Caucus on 5 – 6 July to deliberate on matters of importance to the Caribbean Community, including measures impacting the implementation of CSME, Crime and Security in the Region and emerging geo-political developments which can have an impact on the Region’s growth prospects.

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has 15 Member States – Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Guyana, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago, and five Associate Members – Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands and the Turks and Caicos Islands