ROADTOWN Tortola BVI, January 27th, 2012 – Members of the European Commission and leaders of the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) heard the collective concerns of the OCTs when Deputy Premier Dr. the Honourable Kedrick Pickering addressed them during the 10th OCT-European Union (EU) Forum in Brussels, Belgium on Wednesday.
The Deputy Premier first read a joint-statement on behalf of the 26 OCTs on the subject of future relations between the EU and OCTs in which he conveyed their concerns and the importance of the commission engaging OCTs on its revision of the Overseas Association Decision (OAD) that guides their relationship.
In another statement on behalf of Premier Dr. the Honourable D. Orlando Smith, OBE and the people of the BVI, Deputy Premier conveyed the Premier’s good wishes for the forum and the BVI’s desire for closer cooperation with the EU through wider access to its programmes on trade and the environment.
Yesterday, the BVI delegation continued its participation in the forum as Political Officer Benito Wheatley and Assistant Secretary for Project in the Premier’s Office Elvia Smith- Maduro led talks on regional cooperation at a gathering of heads of delegation and delegates from the Caribbean.
The two engaged OCT leaders on the BVI’s efforts to establish a Caribbean Overseas Countries and Territories Council through which to coordinate regional programmes such as the EU funded Small and Medium Enterprise Project (SME Project), set for launch in May.
In response, the OCT Leaders agreed in principle to the formation of the council and to tentatively meet in April this year. They also agreed that the date and location of the Council’s first meeting should be determined in the coming weeks.
The discussion was followed by a working group meeting to finalise a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for Cooperation between Caribbean Overseas Countries and Territories introduced by the BVI delegation.
Mrs. Smith-Maduro chaired the meeting, where consensus was reached on the language of the MOU and the OCT representatives agreed that the BVI would function as the interim secretariat responsible for coordinating the setup of the council in the lead up to its first meeting.
The forum closed with a series of trilateral talks between the EU and OCTs. The BVI delegation participated in a trilateral meeting of the Caribbean OCTs and EU, where Smith-Maduro and Wheatley led the OCTs in the discussions in the BVI’s capacity as Deputy Regional Authorising Officer (DRAO) under the EU’s 10th European Development Fund (EDF).
The BVI delegation to the forum also included Ms. Tessa Smith, Environmental Officer in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Labour and Business Development Liaison in the Premier’s Office Mr. Kevin Smith.
Mrs. Smith-Maduro and Ms. Smith will remain in Brussels to attend a training workshop on Mainstreaming Climate Change into National Planning and Budgeting from 27-28 January 2012.
*************************
DISCLAIMER
This article was posted in its entirety as received by SKNVibes.com. This media house does not correct any spelling or grammatical error within press releases and commentaries. The views expressed therein are not necessarily those of SKNVibes.com, its sponsors or advertisers
British Virgin Islands News