Jun 7 Fort Lauderdale USA: OAS Ambassador Ms. Debra Mae Lovell and other Caricom representatives,met
with US Secretary of State Dr. Condeleezza Rice.
Antigua's representative Dr. Mansoor, who is attending the OAS General
Assembly in Fort Lauderdale Florida, said that the bilateral meeting with Secretary of State Condeleezza. Rice raised the
need for regular structured meetings between CARICOM and the USA.
“A Conference on the Caribbean was advanced by CARICOM as it
would help US decision makers better understand the complexities and concerns of CARICOM states. There were some discussions
of the possibility of this occurring around the time of the convening of the UN General Assembly,” Dr. Mansoor noted.
He said that CARICOM welcomed the Third Border Initiative and advanced the notion
of greater collaboration with the US in activities that are vital to the economies of the Caribbean, particularly tourism
and security.
Other areas that were discussed included the evolution of the situation in Haiti and
the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative which will require all American citizens returning to the USA to enter on a valid
US travel document.
Recent studies have confirmed that a large percentage of visitors from the USA to
Caribbean holiday destinations do so regularly and may not have a US passport.
Dr. Mansoor sated that CARICOM is advancing that this new policy be delayed until
a common policy is worked out with all of the USA's neighbours.
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