A number of countries within the OECS are forging ahead with closer ties with Trinidad and Tobago. The proposed political and economic union was discussed with three OECS countries who were not involved in the process initially.The issue came to the fore last Wednesday when the prime ministers of St.Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Lucia and Grenada signed a communiqué on steps to enhance the integration movement in the region.
The aim is to secure the economic space by 2011 and to have the appropriate political structure established with Trinidad and Tobago by 2013.
Accompanying Trinidad’s Prime Minister Patrick Manning to Antigua, St. Kitts and Dominica to further push the idea on Wednesday was Grenada’s Prime Minister Hon. Tillman Thomas.
Mr. Thomas says it is their expectation that the other OECS countries will sign the communiqué before the end of the year.
He says the initiative does not affect the single economy scheduled to come into effect in 2009.
A meeting will be held with all the OECS heads by September to further discuss the initiative.
Also within the coming week, Prime Minister Manning will meet with the leaders of Jamaica, Bahamas and Suriname.
Foreign Affairs Minister Peter David accompanied Prime Minister Thomas to the latest round of dialogue with the three countries. With the harsh economic times being experienced the countries would have to consider whether to put sovereignty aside and join forces in the interest of survival.
