Hon. Cedric Liburd

Minister of Agriculture, Hon. Cedric Liburd and Press Secretary to the Prime Minister, Mr. Erasmus Williams, have responded to a statement made by the Political Leader of the opposition People's Action Movement (PAM), Mr.

Lindsay Grant, that it was not necessary for Prime Minister, Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas, to lead the recent CARICOM mission to Europe to lobby the European Union with respect to changes in the Sugar Protocol.

Mr. Grant recently said that St. Kitts and Nevis should not have been represented at those discussions, as the country ceased sugar production last July.

Minister Liburd is quoted in Monday's issue of Sun St. Kitts/Nevis as saying that Mr. Grant's statement is "without foundation."

"It is unfortunate that a leader of any opposition party could make such a statement without foundation, especially someone who was trained legally, because he must know that all of these discussions and decisions were going on even before St. Kitts closed its sugar industry," said Minister Liburd.

Press Secretary Williams has described Mr. Grant's statement as another attempt to mislead the people of St. Kitts and Nevis and a challenge to a decision of Caribbean leaders.

"Firstly, the decision for Prime Minister Douglas to be part of the Mission and subsequently to lead the delegation, when the President of Guyana, was unable to attend, was a collective decision of the Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community and secondly, Dr. Douglas has repeatedly informed the Nation that although St. Kitts and Nevis no longer produces sugar, the Government has an obligation to get compensation for the closure of the industry, as well as to seek financing for the new initiatives to transform the economy," said Williams on the programme, National Echo on Monday.

Minister Liburd told Sun St. Kitts/Nevis: "I went to Kenya in September...and made a representation on behalf of St. Kitts and I gave official notice that St. Kitts closed its sugar industry and the accompanying measures that the EU was offering to the ACP countries, that all members of the ACP countries must lend their support to St. Kitts and Nevis because what happened to St. Kitts and Nevis could happen to the others."

"The prime minister, at Caricom level, set up a committee to go to Brussels to speak to the EU on the matter of compensation for the ACP countries, that most of us would not be able to survive the 36 percent reduction. St.

Kitts/Nevis, after recognising that in 2004, decided that we could not go any further," Liburd explained to the SUN.

 Minister Liburd further informed that Dr. Douglas also broached the subject to British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, at a meeting in Malta last year.

"The prime minister in a meeting in Malta, chaired by Prime Minister Blair of England, the matter came up and St. Kitts/Nevis was given special recognition by Prime Minister Blair and since then he sent an EU delegation to St. Kitts because he recognised that St. Kitts/Nevis needs some budgetary assistance right now to help us and also for us to prepare our package for accompanying measures," Minister Liburd said.

He added that it "is unfortunate that someone who is seeking leadership does not prepare himself before he goes to the press."