Addressing the opening of the inaugural Mexico-CARICOM Summit in Cancun, Mexico last Sunday, he said that developing countries and small vulnerable economies were both “battered by a series of hard-hitting economic punches and a multitude of fast curveballs in the environmental and social arenas,” a news release from the CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, quoted him as saying.
Skerrit also observed that the foundations of their economies had “shifted unexpectedly and swiftly, creating financial shocks and instability which have had varying degrees of impact on each and every one of us.”
Within such an environment, the CARICOM Chairman added, there was need for “innovation, creativity, and a fresh approach in strategic thinking.”
Moreover, he noted that the environment also demanded “renewed thrust, focus and energy in collaborative efforts to combat and minimize vulnerabilities.”
The release said that the landmark Mexico-CARICOM Summit has reinforced diplomatic ties between the region and its Latin American partner, which have spanned 35 years.
The summit was convened to pursue key areas of cooperation including common challenges in trade and development, climate change and Haiti.
Prime Minister Skerrit said he was pleased to see that commercial activities between CARICOM and Mexico had increased and therefore he anticipated that the summit would explore the opportunities created by the CSME, in an effort to further boost the region’s trading and investment links with Mexico.
“Mexico will no doubt be aware of the efforts which the Caribbean Community has been making with regard to the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), the flagship of our regional integration movement, which is intended to provide the springboard to facilitate CARICOM’s integration into the hemispheric and global environment through more competitive production thereby enhancing our trading relations,” he stated.
Though the region and Mexico were at different stages of development, Skerrit said that their co-existence in the same hemisphere, where they shared the Caribbean Sea, meant that “our needs, interests and challenges are very similar.”
In this regard, he expressed appreciation on behalf of the Community that Haiti was a central part of the summit’s agenda.
“CARICOM is steadfastly committed to working alongside our member state, Haiti, an integral part of our family, to ensure that the assistance which is rendered to that nation in the aftermath of the tragic and devastating effects of the January 12 earthquake goes beyond immediate relief efforts,” Prime Minister Skerrit stated.
He said further that, “It must focus on facilitating the medium and long term recovery, reconstruction and development of that country in a sustainable manner.”
And the catastrophe must be seen as an opportunity to bring about the renaissance of Haiti and not simply to bring it to where it was before this disaster struck,” Skerrit added.
The CARICOM chairman noted the region’s appreciation for the long-standing support given to Haiti by Mexico, and added that he was pleased to partner with Mexico to explore collaborative efforts to jointly increase that support through measures outlined in the Declaration on Haiti, which was to be adopted before the conclusion of the Summit.
