The European Union has received praise from the Caribbean Community, for its continued financial, technical and other support to the region during the current difficult economic global situation.
The recognition was given by the Deputy Secretary General of Caricom and Cariforum, Ambassador Lolita Applewhaite at a Cariforum – European Union Senior Officials Dialogue being held in Dominica.
The Caricom official told the Fort Young Hotel meeting on Friday that the EU’s continued support despite the global situation was commendable.
“We are cognizant of the challenges being experienced by the EU and some of its member states, the sovereign debt crisis has not escaped our attention. The fact that the EU can continue to be our most important development assistance partner is testimony to the strength of our relationship,” Ambassador Applewhaite told the meeting.
She expressed the region’s appreciation to the EU ”for its continuing support to Cariforum (Caricom member states and the Dominican Republic) and to the individual member states of the region.”
One of the matters on the table is a joint Cariforum/EU strategy expected to set the basis for future cooperation between the region and the EU.
European official Christian Leffler has indicated that it is expected to be adopted soon.
“The strategy is coming very close to completion and I am sure that before very long we will be celebrating its simultaneous adoption in Europe and in the Caribbean,” Leffler said.
Leffler, the Managing Director for the Americas of the EU’s European External Action Service, described the new strategy as “a useful platform to take EU/Cariforum relations further”.
However one Cariforum official told DNO that the grouping has some concerns that will be raised during the meeting, but refused to go into detail.
According to Ambassador Applewhaite, the Dominica talks include discussion on the framework of political relations between the two blocs.
Also being discussed was EU/Caribbean/Latin American relations “against the background of deepening and expanding Caribbean relations at political, economic and other levels with our Latin American neighbours”.
The talks are also examining regional and global challenges, including security and climate change issues.
The Dominica talks follow a 2010 meeting of the political directorate of the two blocs involved which took place in Jamaica.
This latest dialogue is expected to offer an opportunity to concretise areas of cooperation between the two blocs, according to Ruth Allport, Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Trade.
A minute’s silence was held at the meeting’s opening in tribute to OECS and Caricom Ambassador Charles Maynard, who died earlier this week on Tuesday
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