OECS Heads of Government have endorsed several initiatives aimed at strengthening the sub-regional integration movement.
OECS Prime Ministers and Chief Ministers took a decision at the 43rd Meeting of the Authority in St. Kitts to establish Memoranda of Understanding between the OECS and several neighbouring states in a bid to provide more structure and coherence to functional cooperation activities between the OECS and its neighbours.
The neighbouring states include Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Jamaica, Cuba and Venezuela.
The Authority has also decided to follow through with proposals to utilise opportunities at the University of Puerto Rico for two to four-year degree programmes in various fields.
OECS leaders in their discussion on recent trade negotiations, accepted the recommendations and endorsed the proposals arising from the meeting of Ministers of Trade.
"In particular, the Meeting agreed on the utility of a review by the region of the generality of its stance on non-reciprocity in trade agreements. The Meeting noted the renewed energy and urgency of the developments regarding the World Trade Organisation (WTO) negotiations in Geneva and agreed that these should be carefully followed and monitored by the OECS," said the communiqué.
The OECS Heads Meeting also noted the difficulties of the EPA negotiations, especially with regards to the development dimensions of those negotiations, and underscored the critical importance of this aspect of the negotiations to the OECS.
It was also agreed that this must inform the stances taken by the OECS in these negotiations.
OECS Heads in their discussions on the demand and supply of cement to the sub-region endorsed a proposal from the meeting of OECS Ministers of Trade to seek the removal of restrictions on the importation of cement through appropriate changes to the CARICOM CET.
~~Adz:Right~~The decision comes in response to the critical shortages of cement now being experienced and the attendant negative consequences on development in the OECS. Further there were complaints from the OECS construction sector about the reliability of quantity and quality or supplies from the regional producers.
The OECS Authority accepted the recommendations of Ministers of Trade on a request from the OECS Bureaux of Standards, on the establishment of a Committee of Heads of Bureaux of Standards within the institutional framework of the OECS, with no additional cost to Member States.
