Robertson S. Henry. Sports and Cultural Contributor
CARICOM Ministers of Foreign Affairs met at the Nineteenth Meeting of the Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR) in Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines May 9-10,2016.
The Ministers of Foreign Affairs Nineteenth Meeting of the Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR, followed on the heels of Sunday`s Organisaton of Caribbean States(OECS) Second Meeting of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs meeting held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs` Conference room in Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
The opening ceremony heard addresses from CARICOM Secretary-General, His Excellency Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, outgoing chairman of COFCOR, Honourable Alva Baptiste – Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saint Lucia, and the incoming chairman of COFCOR, Honourable Sir Louis Straker – Minister of Foreign Affairs, Trade, Commerce and Regional Integration.
The attendees were entertained by Rodney Small`s rendition of David Rudder`s ‘High Mass’ and a lustily performance of the national anthem of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines by the Zweslique brothers.
Delegates representing Member States of CARICOM discussed a number of important bilateral and cross border issues along with numerous multilateral and hemispheric issues affecting CARICOM with specific focus on the United Nations, the Organisation of American States (OAS), the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) over the two day-meeting.
Heads of Delegation COFCOR
Also discussed was the US-Cuba relations and its implications for the Caribbean Community. In an effort to deepen and strengthen relations with third countries, COFCOR will have an open discussion with delegations from The Kingdom of Netherlands and Sweden.
The Nineteenth Meeting of the Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR) culminated on May 10, 2016 at the Beachcombers Hotel in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
