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Barbados seeks regional cooperation mechanism on oil and gas
Government Ministers with responsibility for energy from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) yesterday discussed proposals from Barbados for a regional cooperation mechanism on oil and gas.
Barbados Minister of State, Senator Darcy Boyce chaired the one-day 73rd Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) on Energy at CARICOM’s Secretariat here.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the meeting, Boyce expressed his happiness that there is more attention in the Region on oil and gas.
“While we are all determined to make sure that we benefit as best as we can from renewable energy and energy efficiency, we all also have to bear in mind that if we are the owners of resources, we ought not to let those resources stand there idly, but we should use them for the benefit of our countries and for the Region. So I am very glad that we are not shying away from the matter of oil and gas,” Boyce stated.
At Barbados’ request, the matter of cooperation on oil and gas exploration and production was placed on the meeting’s agenda. Guyana’s delegation at the meeting was led by Minister of Public Infrastructure and Government’s point person on energy, David Patterson.
Barbados Minister of State, Senator Darcy Boyce speaking at the opening of the COTED meeting.
Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson at the forum
Boyce noted that the benefits of the regional energy sectors must filter to the average Caribbean person.
“We also have to make sure that the benefits of the work that we are doing in energy efficiency and renewable energy redound to the benefit of the average consumer, in the homes, in the businesses of our countries,” he said.
Joseph Cox, Assistant Secretary-General, Trade and Economic Integration, CARICOM Secretariat, said that energy was an integral part of the region’s agenda and pointed out the action-oriented nature of the agenda before the Ministers.
He said that the stage was being set to advance the regional agenda in a meaningful way and to have finite outcomes.
Cox said that there would be “some action” with respect to the Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (CCREEE).
On Tuesday, at the preparatory meeting for the COTED, Montserrat deposited its instruments of ratification of the Agreement Establishing the Centre. The CARICOM Member State became the fifth Member States to do so, effectively paving the way for the establishment of the Centre’s legal identity by mid next month.
The transition of the CCREEE to a fully operational stage and the approval of a Regional Energy Efficiency Building Code (REEBC), are among the matters the Ministers considered.
Other matters which the Ministers discussed were energy standards, regional energy security and progress on the Caribbean Sustainable Energy Roadmap and Standard (C-SERMS).
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