Caricom machinery cannot represent Guyana in Canada -Jagdeo

Caricom machinery cannot represent Guyana in Canada –Jagdeo

Jan 10, 2009 News

…AFC supports revamping of entity

Head of State, President Bharrat Jagdeo

President Bharrat Jagdeo is adamant that the Regional Negotiating Machinery (RNM) which recently concluded the Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Union, cannot represent Guyana’s position on the upcoming trade talks with Canada.
Jagdeo made the disclosure during a recent press briefing at the Office of the President, where he noted that the decision on how Guyana’s position will be represented will have to be taken at the level of CARICOM (Caribbean Community) Heads.
Jagdeo had gained notoriety coming down to the end of the negotiating of the EPA with EU, because he disagreed with several decisions.
At the time, he had even questioned the ability of the RNM to represent any CARICOM interest in trade talks.
He was of the opinion that other leaders had raised similar concerns, but none of them did so publicly.
According to him, the RNM operates “as though it’s an independent entity vested with different powers,” and should be brought under the authority of the CARICOM Secretariat.
Alliance For Change leader Raphael Trotman disagreed with the President’s approach to the issue, given that for a Head of State to make such a public pronouncement did not augur well for the credibility of the RNM on the international scene.
“The RNM is an integral cog in the CARICOM wheel of negotiations.”
Trotman said that the better approach would have been to call for a revamping of the body, which he did support, given the recent experience with the EPA negotiations. The Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (CRNM) was created by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Governments to develop, coordinate and execute an overall negotiating strategy for various external trade negotiations in which the Region is involved.
The CRNM is responsible for developing and maintaining a cohesive and effective framework for the coordination and management of the Caribbean Region’s negotiating resources and expertise.

Latest News