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Prime Minister Freundel Stuart (left) shares a light moment with Prime Minister of St. Vincent, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves and the Prime Minister of?? St. Lucia, Dr. Kenny Anthony at a press conference??at the close of the 33rd Regular of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM in St. Lucia. (A. Gaskin/BGIS)??

The state and importance of West Indies cricket to the region came up for discussion, as CARICOM Heads of Government ended their annual meeting in Castries yesterday.

This was affirmed by Prime Minister Freundel Stuart, while speaking to reporters, as the curtain came down on the 33rd Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community.

Mr. Stuart said that as far as West Indies cricket was concerned, there was a re-commitment from regional leaders to ensure that any difficulties which exist between the West Indies Cricket Board and the players, or between the West Indies Cricket Board and regional governments were resolved.

Even so, he stressed, CARICOM governments would not attempt to interfere in the day-to-day administration of West Indies cricket. "Perish the thought – we don’t want to do that. But, given the kind of contribution that West Indian governments make to the infrastructure that makes cricket possible, it is thought that we have to work out some kind of modus vivendi, some kind of working relationship between ourselves and the West Indies Cricket Board, so that the people of the West Indies are not in any way disadvantaged by the existence of any tensions between governments and the [West Indies Cricket] Board," he declared.

During today’s plenary session, CARICOM leaders were given a report on the University of the West Indies; and examined joint economic venture initiatives, matters related to Haiti and Suriname, participation in the Connect Americas Summit, sustainability of the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) and border issues.

cathy.lashley@barbados.gov.bb

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