Prime Minister Freundel Stuart will assume chairmanship of the 15-Member Caribbean Community (CARICOM) on July 1, replacing outgoing Chairman, Perry Christie of the Bahamas.
As the new chairman of the Caribbean Community, Mr. Stuart will address the Opening Ceremony of the 36th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM on July 2, at the Hilton Barbados Resort, beginning at 4:30 p.m.
There will be several addresses by in-coming and newly elected Heads, including the Premier of Montserrat, Donaldson Romeo; the Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, Dr. Timothy Harris; the President of Guyana, David Granger; the Prime Minister of Dominica Roosevelt Skerrit and the President of Suriname, Desi Bouterse.
Also delivering an address will be CARICOM Secretary General, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque.??The Ceremony will feature performances by the St. Leonard???s Boys??? Choir, the Royal Barbados Police Force Band, Pinelands Creative Workshop and the Pompasetters Tuk Band and dancers. The Master of Ceremonies will be Maurice Norville.
Prior to the Opening Ceremony, Heads of Government will pose for an official photograph with special guests including the United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon, the President of Panama, Juan Carlos Varela, and Commonwealth Secretary General, Kamalesh Sharma.
The Ceremony will be carried live on CBC Channel 8 and via Live Streaming on the websites of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade at www.foreign.gov.bb and CARICOM at www.caricom.org.??Over 150 delegates will be in Barbados for the summit as well as dozens of journalists and media persons from Antigua and Barbuda, Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and The Bahamas.
cathy.lashley@barbados.gov.bb