Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, sees the 2011 OECS Leaders Summit as a water-shed event for the sub region, grappling with the effects of the global economic climate.
Dr. Gonsalves addressed the opening ceremony calling on his counterparts to concentrate on consolidating the integration process.
He warned that it cannot be business as usual and spoke of the Summit as a water-shed event in search of clear pathways taking the OECS to another level.
He told the ceremony that the OECS integration process does not belong to any financial or aid institution such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) or the World Bank, nor to any foreign government.
Dr. Gonsalves noted that there ought to be a great level of independence in going forward and the leaders must hear the voices of the people, since the regional enterprise as he puts it, is home-grown.
The St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister is one of the elder statesmen within the sub-region.