First Meeting of the Steering Committee of the INTERREG IV, Caribbean Space programme, 2007-2013

Port of Spain (July 9, 2008) – A delegation of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS), composed of the Secretary General, Ambassador Luis Fernando Andrade, and the Political Advisor, Mr. Watson Denis, made an official mission to Martinique from June 25 to 27, 2008. The delegation, in turn, met the President of the Regional Council of Martinique and participated at the Meeting of the Steering Committee of the INTERREG IV.

The ACS delegation had a working session with the President of the Regional Council, Mr. Alfred Marie-Jeanne, who was accompanied on that occasion by Mr. Michel Michalon, Vice-Chairman of the Council and Ms. Maguy Marie-Jeanne, Head of Mission at the Directorate of European Affairs and Cooperation.

This meeting unfolded around the role and participation of Martinique in the ACS and the pursuit of cooperation of Martinique with the Association, and the framework of INTERREG cooperation in the Caribbean Space.

Furthermore, the ACS delegation participated at the 1st Meeting of the Steering Committee for the European Territorial Cooperation Programme INTERREG IV, Caribbean Space, 2007-2013, which was approved by the European Commission on March 26, 2008.

Like other sub-regional organisations, such as CARICOM-CARIFORUM, and the regions of Martinique, Guadeloupe and French Guiana as well as the communities of Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy, the ACS is a member of the Steering Committee, which provides strategic parameters for the implementation of the programme.

At that meeting the participants focused on the mechanisms of implementation, they reviewed the pending projects and discussed the communication and information strategy, and agreed to officially launch INTERREG IV on September 26, 2008.

.