Caribbean toStrengthen Relationship with U.S. & Brazil
Caribbean to Strengthen Relationship withU.S. & Brazil, Nuclear Waste issue with Japan unresolved
The Caribbean is to strengthen its relationshipwith the United States and identify ways in which its peoplescan benefit from closer collaboration with Brazil.
Although expressing satisfaction at thesuccessful outcome of recent talks with Japan, Caribbean ForeignMinisters failed to curtail Japan's use of the region's watersfor the transshipment of nuclear waste.
Caribbean Ministers of Foreign Affairs attheir recent Meeting of the Council for Foreign and CommunityRelations (COFCOR) in St. Lucia also discussed their relationshipwith the United Kingdom and the nations of Central America.
Ministers reviewed the outcomes of the ThirdMeeting between Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the nations ofthe Caribbean and the United States Secretary of State Colin Powellin The Bahamas and stressed the importance of further strengtheningthe Caribbean's relations with the America.
"They expressed appreciation for theThird Border Initiative announced by President George W. Bushduring the Third Summit of the Americas held in Quebec City, Canada,in April 2001 and noted that the Third Border
Initiative is based on the concept of apartnership between the Caribbean and the USA, recognising thatthere is an inter-dependence between the two partners," saida communiqué issued following the Castries meeting.
Caribbean Ministers of Foreign Affairs saidthey have formulated a regional perspective in response to theelements proposed by the United States Government.
Ministers also welcomed the invitation extendedto the President of the Federative Republic of Brazil to exchangeviews with Caribbean leaders when he attends the upcoming CARICOMHeads of Government Meeting in Georgetown, Guyana, from 3-5 July2002.
"They indicated that the opportunityof the President's visit could be taken to explore ways in whichCARICOM/Brazil cooperation could be promoted for the mutual benefitof the peoples of the Community and Brazil," said the communiqué,acknowledging the important role of Brazil in hemispheric andinternational relations and the potential for developing economicand cultural linkages with Brazil as part of the Community's expansionof its relations with Latin America.
Caribbean Foreign Affairs Ministers expressedsatisfaction with the outcome of the Third Caribbean-UK MinisterialForum and adopted steps to be taken in support of the establishmentof the transmission mechanism proposed by the Forum.
The Ministers discussed the follow-up processfor the First Summit between CARICOM, The Central American IntegrationSystem (SICA), and the Dominican Republic, which was held in BelizeCity, Belize, in February 2002 and considered measures to be includedin a plan of action designed to achieve the objectives of theSummit and looked forward to their meeting with Foreign Ministersof Central America and the Dominican Republic in Barbados nextmonth.
Although expressing satisfaction at thesuccessful outcome of the Eighth CARICOM/Japan Consultations heldin Antigua and Barbuda last March, Ministers of Foreign Affairsnoted the support being given by Japan to the social and economicdevelopment of the Member States of the Community and urged theCaribbean nations and their respective Private Sectors to playan active role in the series of activities, which are being plannedto showcase the Caribbean Region in Japan in November this year.
"The Ministers noted that fundamentaldifferences still exist between the two Parties on the issue ofthe transshipment of nuclear waste through the Caribbean Sea andthe potential threat this poses to the well-being and environmentof the Region," said the Communiqué.