OECS Heads Talk on the Results of the Meeting

OECS Heads of Government have summarized the results of the 49th OECS Meeting in BVI, which was named a watershed in the historical evolution of the organisation. The leaders of the countries of the organization stated its enhanced international profile: in recent times, new relationships have been or are formed, including that at the regional level with Brazil, Venezuela, Austria, Turkey, Spain, Mexico, Cuba, France, the US Virgin Islands, the EU organisation, Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago.

During the meeting, the Governor of the US Virgin Islands was engaged in discussions on closer functional co-operation with other countries of the organisation. The Heads of Governments have mandated the OECS Secretariat to work along with the USVI Administration to complete a Memorandum of Understanding in order to facilitate the closer ties.

OECS Heads of Government confirmed their commitment to the ongoing process of deepening the regional integration movement, and stated that the inauguration of the OECS Economic Union will take place on June 18 2010. The Economic Union public education campaign, which has already been started in several countries, will give OECS nationals an opportunity to comment on and make inputs into a draft OECS Economic Union Treaty. The amended draft Treaty will go before national parliaments in Member States for ratification.