 |
||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
NR/006/2005
ACS NEWS RELEASE ACS STRENGTHENS TIES WITH OECS COUNTRIES PORT OF SPAIN (06.14.2005) – The Secretary General of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS), Dr. Rubén Silié Valdez, made an official visit to St. Vincent and the Grenadines and St. Lucia last week, where he met with the Prime Ministers of the respective countries, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves and Dr. Kenny Anthony. These visits fall just one month before the ACS’ 4th Summit of Heads of State in Panama and provided an opportunity for the ACS SG and Prime Ministers to exchange perspectives on the work and vision of the Association, and its involvement in fostering regional integration and cooperation. While in St. Lucia, Dr. Silié, accompanied by ACS Directors Mr. Luis Carpio and Ms. Jasmin Garraway, also took advantage of the occasion to meet with the Director General of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), Dr. Len Ishmael. Six of the OECS’ nine member countries belong to the ACS and the meeting allowed for discussions on the respective organisations’ work agendas with a view to coordinating future joint initiatives. The Secretary General, the Prime Ministers and the OECS Director General agreed that efforts should be made to increase the representation and participation of both the Members and the Secretariat of the OECS in the work of the Association of Caribbean States, in order to continue a mutually beneficial relationship. In this regard, it was recalled that OECS nationals were the first to benefit from the ACS Foreign Language Training Programme in 2002 and this project served to reinforce the collaborative relationship between the two organisations. The ACS Secretary General and Directors also met with the Permanent Secretaries of the Ministries of Tourism of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and St. Lucia, both of whom articulated their interest in deepening relations with the ACS Secretariat. It is interesting to note that a number of issues identified as priority matters at the recent meeting of the OECS Council of Tourism Ministers relate closely to the work currently being undertaken by the ACS in Sustainable Tourism. These include: the promotion of sustainable tourism development; the development of a harmonised tourism policy framework for the sub-region; the enhancement of the capacity of Member States in collecting and analysing tourism statistics; the promotion and facilitation of joint marketing initiatives and the issue of Safety and Security About the ACS The Association of Caribbean States is the organisation for consultation, cooperation and concerted action in trade, transport, sustainable tourism and natural disasters in the Greater Caribbean. Its Member States are Antigua & Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panama, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago and Venezuela. Its Associate Members are Aruba, France on behalf of French Guiana, Guadeloupe, and Martinique, and the Netherlands Antilles.
|
||||
MEDIA CONTACT: |
|
|
Association of Caribbean States ©
2007 |