FEBRUARY 26, 2019 – Prime Minister, Dr. the Right Hon. Keith Mitchell and his Caricom colleagues are meeting in St. Kitts/ Nevis for the 30th intersessional meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government, to discuss transportation, the CARICOM Single Market and Economy, and security issues including the situation in Venezuela.

The two day meeting got underway on Tuesday.

Speaking at the start of the meeting, CARICOM Secretary General, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque made reference to the Venezuelan crisis. He said, “The Community maintains that the solution must come from among the Venezuelan people and abides by the internationally recognised and accepted principles of non-interference and non-intervention in the affairs of states, respect for sovereignty, adherence to the rule of law, and respect for human rights and democracy.”

Prior to this week’s inter-sessional meeting, representatives from Grenada and other CARICOM countries met in two emergency sessions to discuss the Venezuela situation.

The blacklisting of Caribbean countries is also on the agenda for the Heads of Government meeting.

In his opening remarks, Hon. Timothy Harris, Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis and Chairman of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean community said “The continuous addition of onerous requirements to comply with new regulations is tantamount to cruel and unusual punishment. The EU and its Member States are going well beyond the regulations and requirements of the OECD, of which they are a part, and with which our countries are largely compliant. Further, the selective application of their strictures does not apply to everyone and has a distinct bias.”

Mr. Harris added “These unbridled attacks on our sovereignty and disturbing intrusion into our internal affairs hark back to a different era of us having to heed the dictates of our colonial masters, who imposed mercantile laws that restricted our development scope and space. The question that must be asked is this. Why are the revenue earning measures of small states such as ours being deliberately targeted?”

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Honourable Peter David and Foreign Service Officer, Mr. Che Phillip are also attending the CARICOM meeting in St. Kitts and Nevis.

On Monday, ahead of the start of the inter-sessional meeting, CARICOM’s Foreign Affairs Ministers and those responsible for CARICOM Affairs gathered for the 10th Special Meeting of CARICOM’s Community Council of Ministers.