Martinique becomes associate member of OECS today

Pursuing its strong regional cooperation policy, Martinique will host the sixtieth Meeting of the OECS Authority from February 4 th to 5th at Hotel Bateliere. For the first time, the nine Heads of Government of OECS member states will be gathered in the French Department: Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St.Kitts & Nevis, St-Lucia, St-Vincent & the Grenadines, Montserrat, Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands.

On this occasion, Serge Letchimy, President of the Regional Council of Martinique will sign the accession agreement of Martinique to OECS, making Martinique the 1st French territory to enter the organization.

The official ceremony will take place on Wednesday 4th of February 2015 at 5:00 PM, it will be followed by the Sixtieth Meeting of the OECS Authority on Thursday 5th of February 2015.

Martinique became associated member of two Caribbean organizations: ECLAC (Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean) in August 2012 and ACS (Association of Caribbean States) in April 2014.

Meanwhile, Government's press attaché reports that Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit is in Fort de France, Martinique for the 60th Meeting of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Authority. Prime Minister Skerrit as Chairman of the OECS will preside over the February 4-5 meeting during which Martinique will become the newest Associate Member of the OECS.

This is the first time that OECS Authority Meeting is being held outside of the OECS jurisdiction. Prime Minister Skerrit in welcoming Martinique as an Associate Member felt that it would have been appropriate to hold the meeting in Martinique as a sign of embracing "our brothers and sisters in Martinique."

"It is an important historic event for the OECS that we are bringing Martinique into the fray of the OECS as an associate member. I think it is important for the region, it is important for the people of Martinique that while they are part of Europe but more critically they are also part of the Caribbean and there are a number of things that we can do together as Caribbean people towards addressing common challenges which we have in the region whether it is in health, whether it is in security, whether it is in education, culture, energy, food security. There are a number of things that we can cooperate on and I believe that it is important for us to have the French Departments as part of those discussions, as part of those discourse and encounters," Prime Minister Skerrit stated.

Prime Minister Skerrit is accompanied to the meeting by Felix Gregoire Dominica's Ambassador to the OECS. Minister for Planning, Economic Development and Investment. Minister for Social Services, Family and Gender Affairs Honourable Catherine Daniel will act as Prime Minister while Prime Minister Skerrit is out of state.