The Sixteenth Inter-Sessional Meeting of The Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community was held in Paramaribo, Suriname, February 16-17, 2005 under the chairmanship of Drs. Runaldo R. Venetiaan, President of the Republic of Suriname and Chairman of The Conference. Torarica Hotel facilitated this conference with her accommodations and services. Heads of different Caribbean countries were present to attend this conference. One of the special guests was Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of the Federative Republic of Brazil.

Special guest at the Meeting, President Lula da Silva of Brazil, shared a vision for strengthened ties between CARICOM and Brazil. He expressed the view that now is the opportune time for the establishment of solid partnerships between Brazil and CARICOM and added that his country would support a free trade agreement between MERCOSUR and CARICOM. In this regard, he said, Brazil was prepared to proceed with flexibility and generosity. He expressed the view that united, CARICOM and Brazil could build a new economic and commercial geography.

Issues that were discussed are:
• Progress in the Implementation of the
   CARICOM Single Market and Economy
   (CSME)
• Establishment of the Caribbean Court of
   Justice (CCJ)
• CARICOM Passport
• Community Governance
• Exchange of Views with Special Guests
• Status of Conduct of External Trade
   Negotiations
• Bananas
• Sugar
• Strengthening Regional Agriculture
• Sustainable Development
• Crime and Security
• Developing a Regional Strategic
   Plan for Youth
• Caribbean Knowledge and Learning
   Network (CKLN)
• Human Resource and Health
• West Indies Cricket
• Antigua and Barbuda's challenge
   to then United States in the WTO
• Haiti
• Candidatures
• Official Inauguration of the
   Headquarters of the Caribbean
   Community Secretariat
• Date and Venue of the Twenty-Sixth
   Regular Meeting of The Conference
• Appreciation

Venetiaan(r) welcomes Da Silva(l)

Participating members of the conference expressed their appreciation to the government and people of the Republic of Suriname for their very warm hospitality and excellent conference arrangements. For further details please visit the website of Caricom: www.caricom.org