CARICUM-CANADA TRADE DEVELUPMENT FURUM

NUVEMBER ,
DELTA MEADUWVALE HUTEL AND CUNVENTIUN CENTRE, MISSISSAUCA

UPENINC CEREMUNY
REMARKS DELIVERED BY HIS EXCELLENCY EVELYN CREAVES, HICH CUMMISSIUNER UF
BARBADUS UN BEHALF UF THE INCUMINC CHAIRMAN UF THE CARICUM MINISTERIAL
CUUNCIL FUR TRADE AND ECUNUMIC DEVELUPMENT



SAL0TATI0NS

TBE RELATI0NSBIP BETWEEN CANABA ANB CARIC0N C00NTRIES BATES BACK T0 TBE
EARLY 8TB CENT0RY WBEN TBE BRITISB N0RTBERN ATLANTIC C0L0NIES EXCBANuEB
FISB, L0NBER ANB 0TBER STAPLES F0R WEST INBIAN R0N, N0LASSES ANB SPICES.
C0RRENTLY, 00R TRABE ANB EC0N0NIC C0-0PERATI0N RELATI0NS ARE C0vEREB
0NBER A N0NBER 0F LEuAL INSTR0NENTS, NANELY, TBE 99 CARIC0N-CANABA TRABE
ANB EC0N0NIC C0-0PERATI0N AuREENENT ANB ITS PR0T0C0LS, INCL0BINu TBE 998
PR0T0C0L 0N R0N; CARIBCAN WBICB uRANTS 0NILATERAL B0TY FREE ACCESS T0 ELIuIBLE
u00BS FR0N BENEFICIARY C00NTRIES IN TBE ENuLISB-SPEAKINu CARIBBEAN; ANB
BILATERAL INvESTNENT TREATIES WITB INBIvIB0AL NENBER STATES, NANELY BARBAB0S
ANB TRINIBAB ANB T0BAu0. CANABA ALS0 BAS NEN0RANBA 0F 0NBERSTANBINu WITB
}ANAICA, TRINIBAB ANB T0BAu0, BARBAB0S ANB TBE 0ECS C00NTRIES, 0NBER WBICB
W0RKERS ARE SEAS0NALLY ENPL0YEB 0N CANABIAN FARNS. IN RECENT YEARS,
B0SPITALITY W0RKERS FR0N BARBAB0S ANB A N0NBER 0F CARIC0N STATES BAvE BEEN

BIuNITARIES T0 BE IBENTFIEB.

RECR0ITEB 0N A TENP0RARY BASIS T0 W0RK IN CANABIAN B0SPITALITY SECT0RS.

CARIC0N C0NTIN0ES T0 BE AN INP0RTANT BESTINATI0N F0R CANABIAN F0REIuN BIRECT
INvESTNENT (FBI) ST0CK, ATTRACTINu ALN0ST % 0F CANABA'S T0TAL 00TWARB FBI
ST0CK AS AT 9. CARIC0N INvEST0RS F00NB A B0NE IN CANABA F0R CBN NN 0F FBI
ST0CKS 0P T0 9.
C0LT0RALLY, TBE TIES BETWEEN CARIC0N ANB CANABA ARE STR0Nu. IN , IT
WAS ESTINATEB TBERE WERE 9, RESIBENTS IN CANABA WB0 0RIuINATEB IN TBE
CARIC0N C00NTRIES. CANABIAN A0TB0RS ANB ARTISTS C0NTIN0E T0 INFL0ENCE TBE
CANABIAN C0LT0RAL LANBSCAPE. CANABA BAS ALS0 BAB A u0vERN0R uENERAL 0F
BAITIAN BERITAuE, ANB NICBAEL LEE CBIN, A S0CCESSF0L B0SINESSNAN ANB INNIuRANT
FR0N }ANAICA B0NATEB CAN NILLI0N T0 TBE R0YAL 0NTARI0 N0SE0N IN .
AS TBE RELATI0NSBIP BETWEEN TBE TW0 C00NTRIES C0NTIN0ES T0 uR0W, S0 T00
B0ES TBE INv0LvENENT AT TBE P0LITICAL LEvEL. I AN PLEASEB T0 REP0RT TBAT
CARIC0N BEABS 0F NISSI0N IN 0TTAWA BAvE BEEN ENuAuINu 0N SEvERAL FR0NTS WITB
TBE P0LITICAL BIRECT0RATE IN TBE F0REIuN AFFAIRS REALNS. NEETINuS BAvE BEEN
BELB WITB TBE B0N. BIANE ABL0NCZY, NINISTER 0F STATE 0F F0REIuN AFFAIRS
(ANERICAS ANB C0NS0LAR AFFAIRS). CARIC0N BEABS 0F NISSI0N ARE ALS0 SCBEB0LEB T0
NEET WITB TBE NINISTER 0F F0REIuN AFFAIRS, TBE B0N. }0BN BAIRB 0N N0vENBER .
CARIC0N REC0uNISES TBE INP0RTANCE 0F TBE C0RRENT CARIBCAN ARRANuENENT.
00R NERCBANBISE EXP0RT TRABE T0 CANABA
BAS INCREASEB ANN0ALLY BY .9 PERCENT, uR0WINu FR0N 0SNN IN 999 T0 0vER
0S.BN IN 9. CARIC0N EXP0RTS BENEFIT FR0N B0TY FREE TARIFF TREATNENT 0NBER
CARIBCAN ACR0SS ALL PR0B0CT CATEu0RIES EXCEPT TEXTILES, CL0TBINu ANB LEATBER.

AT TBE SANE TINE, WE REC0uNIZE, TBAT C0RRENT N0N-RECIPR0CAL PREFERENTIAL

PR0uRANNES S0CB AS CARIBCAN ANB TBE uENERALISEB PREFERENTIAL TARIFF (uPT) B0
N0T PR0vIBE AN ABEQ0ATE ANB SEC0RE F00NBATI0N 0N WBICB T0 ANCB0R TBE REuI0N'S
F0T0RE TRABE ANB EC0N0NIC RELATI0NS WITB CANABA.
ALTB00uB CARIBCAN PREFERENCES BAvE BEEN EXTENBEB 0NBER A NEW WT0
WAIvER 0NTIL BECENBER , , TBE REuI0N'S C0NTIN0EB EN}0YNENT 0F TBE
PREFERENCES IS TINE B00NB. TBE CBANuINu INTERNATI0NAL TRABINu ENvIR0NNENT AS
TYPIFIEB BY BEvEL0PNENTS IN TBE W0RLB TRABE 0RuANISATI0N (WT0), PR0vIBE STR0Nu
N0TIvATI0N T0 L0CK-IN TBE EXISTINu PREFERENCES ANB PREFERENTIAL NARuINS IN A
NEW TRABE ARRANuENENT WBICB PR0vIBES L0Nu TERN SEC0RITY ANB PREBICTABILITY
F0R TRABERS ANB INvEST0RS. F0RTBER, CARIBCAN'S C0vERAuE IS LINITEB T0 TRABE IN
u00BS ANB B0ES N0T EXTENB T0 TRABE IN SERvICES, WBICB IS 0F INCREASINu
INP0RTANCE T0 CARIC0N EC0N0NIES.
F0RTBER, A N0RE NAT0RE TRABE AuREENENT WITB CANABA WILL ALS0 ENBRACE
BAITI ANB S0RINANE WBICB ARE C0RRENTLY EXCL0BEB FR0N TBE CARIBCAN BENEFITS.
ABBITI0NAL BENEFITS ANTICIPATEB INCL0BE PR0vISI0NS T0 STRENuTBEN TRABE
FACILITATI0N; INN0vATI0N; ELECTR0NIC C0NNERCE; C0NPETITI0N P0LICY; ANB
TRANSPARENCY IN u0vERNNENT PR0C0RENENT. ALS0, F0R TBE FIRST TINE, TBE REuI0N
WILL NEu0TIATE C0NPREBENSIvE INvESTNENT PR0N0TI0N ANB PR0TECTI0N PR0vISI0NS
uEAREB T0WARBS ATTRACTINu INvESTNENTS WBICB C0NTRIB0TE T0WARBS S0STAINABLE
BEvEL0PNENT .
IF WE ARE INBEEB SERI00S AB00T EXPL0ITINu C0NNERCIAL 0PP0RT0NITIES WITB
CANABA, WE CANN0T AFF0RB LESS C0NPETITIvE ANB LEuALLY 0NCERTAIN TERNS 0F

TRABE RELATIvE T0 0TBER EC0N0NIES S0CB AS PER0, C0L0NBIA, PANANA, TBE

B0NINICAN REP0BLIC, B0NB0RAS, C0STA RICA ANB CBILE WB0 BAvE EITBER C0NPLETEB
FREE TRABE AuREENENTS (FTAS) WITB CANABA, 0R ARE AT AN ABvANCEB STAuE 0F S0CB
P0RS0ITS.
AT TBE SANE TINE, A SIuNIFICANT BEvEL0PNENT BINENSI0N IS CRITICAL IF CARIC0N
IS T0 NAXINISE TBE BENEFITS FR0N A N0RE NAT0RE TRABINu ARRANuENENT WITB
CANABA. CARIC0N C00NTRIES ARE 0NBERTAKINu TBE CBALLENuINu TASK 0F
RESTR0CT0RINu TBEIR EC0N0NIES FR0N P0ST C0L0NIAL N0BELS, T0 CENTRES 0F
INN0vATI0N ANB vAL0E CREATI0N.
CARIC0N BEABS 0F u0vERNNENT BAB PR0P0SEB T0 TBEIR CANABIAN
C00NTERPART TBE NEu0TIATI0N 0F A "N0RE NAT0RE TRABINu RELATI0NSBIP WBICB
B0ILBS 0N, ANB ENBANCES, EXISTINu ARRANuENENTS ANB F0LFILS TBE 0B}ECTIvE 0F TBE
EC0N0NIC BEvEL0PNENT 0F CARIC0N C00NTRIES." IT IS 00R vIEW TBAT AN AuREENENT
BETWEEN CARIC0N ANB CANABA N0ST BE u0IBEB BY TBE PRINCIPLE 0F ASYNNETRY
WBICB REC0uNIZES, ANB APPR0PRIATELY RESP0NBS T0 BIFFERENCES IN TBE LEvEL 0F
BEvEL0PNENT BETWEEN CARIC0N ANB CANABA 0N TBE 0NE BANB, AS WELL AS AN0Nu
CARIC0N C00NTRIES. I PA0SE T0 APPRECIATE TBIS P0INT AS NABE BY NINISTER ABL0NCZY
IN BER RENARKS.
F0R 0S T0 TAKE ABvANTAuE 0F 0PP0RT0NITIES CREATEB BY TBE AuREENENT,
NEAS0RES T0 S0PP0RT CAPACITY B0ILBINu ANB ENBANCINu C0NPETITIvENESS, WBILE
NININISINu TBE ABvERSE EFFECTS 0F TRABE LIBERALISATI0N ARE NECESSARY.

WE WELC0NE CANABA'S C0NNITNENT T0 S0PP0RT CAPACITY-B0ILBINu ASS0CIATEB

WITB TBE AuREENENT ANB 0TBER AREAS 0F CARIC0N'S BEvEL0PNENT PRI0RITIES IN TBE
F0RN 0F CAN NILLI0N T0 BE 0TILISEB 0vER YEARS. TBIS PLEBuE WAS NABE BY
PRINE NINISTER BARPER WBEN BE NET WITB CARIC0N BEABS 0F u0vERNNENT IN }0LY
. IN 0RBER T0 ENS0RE TBAT TBE NEW TRABE ARRANuENENT IS S0CCESSF0L, CARIC0N
BAS PR0P0SEB A N0NBER 0F AREAS F0R C00PERATI0N.
ALL 00R EC0N0NIES ARE FACINu A CBALLENuINu uL0BAL 00TL00K WBICB SPEAKS
T0 TBE NEEB T0 RELEASE 00R CREATIvE P0TENTIAL ANB T0 REC0uNISE TBAT IT CANN0T
BE B0SINESS AS 0S0AL. CARIC0N'S F0T0RE LIES IN BEvEL0PINu C00PERATI0N INITIATIvES
ANB PARTNERSBIPS T0 uENERATE INvESTNENT IN STRATEuIC AREAS S0CB AS INN0vATI0N
BEvEL0PNENTC0NNERCIALISATI0N, TRANSP0RTATI0N, ANB INFRASTR0CT0RE. AS NICR0-
EC0N0NIES TBERE WILL ALWAYS BE A R0LE F0R C00PERATI0N IN TRABE ARRANuENENTS
WITB N0RE BEvEL0PEB PARTNERS.
WE REC0uNISE TBE NEEB T0 ENBRACE INN0vATI0N BRIvEN C0NPETITIvENESS. WE
BELIEvE TBAT TBE C0NTIN0EB BEvEL0PNENT 0F INN0vATI0N CAN C0LTIvATE ANB
TRANSF0RN ENTREPRENE0RSBIP, F0RuE NEW INB0STRY, BELP NAXINIZE EXP0RT
0PP0RT0NITIES, CREATE }0BS ANB INPR0vE TBE Q0ALITY 0F LIFE 0F 00R CITIZENS. WE SEE
A N0RE NAT0RE TRABE ARRANuENENT WITB CANABA S0PP0RTINu TBIS BEvEL0PNENTAL
u0AL.
TBIS F0R0N IS AINEB AT FACILITATINu B0SINESS NATCBNAKINu ANB P0LICY
ABv0CACY T0 IBENTIFY SPECIFIC TYPES 0F PR0vISI0NS NEEBEB T0 REALISE NEANINuF0L
B0SINESS 0PP0RT0NITIES. TBERE ARE A B0ST 0F F0RESEEABLE B0SINESS P0SSIBILITIES F0R
B0TB SERvICES PR0vIBERS ANB u00BS PR0B0CERS TBAT C00LB BE FACILITATEB BY A NEW

AuREENENT WBICB BAS BENEFITTEB FR0N TBE CLEARLY ARTIC0LATEB vIEWS 0F TBE
PRIvATE SECT0RS 0F CARIC0N ANB CANABA. TBERE ARE ALS0 INNEBIATE 0PP0RT0NITIES
WBICB TBE B0LBINu 0F TBE PAN AN uANES IN T0R0NT0 SCBEB0LEB F0R }0LY -,
NAY PR0vIBE.
I L00K F0RWARB T0 REC0NNENBATI0NS WBICB WILL ENANATE FR0N Y00R
BISC0SSI0NS.
LET NE, IN CL0SINu, WARNLY TBANK ALL 0F Y00 WB0 BAvE TAKEN TINE FR0N Y00R
B0SY SCBEB0LES ANB AuENBAS T0 BE BERE. LET NE ALS0 TBANK TBE u0vERNNENTS 0F
CANABA TBR00uB TBE CANABIAN INTERNATI0NAL BEvEL0PNENT AuENCY, ANB TBE
E0R0PEAN 0NI0N TBR00uB TBE CARIBBEAN EXP0RT BEvEL0PNENT AuENCY, WB0 BAvE
uRACI00SLY PR0vIBEB RES00RCES T0WARBS TBE B0STINu 0F TBIS F0R0N.
I WISB Y00 S0CCESSF0L BELIBERATI0NS, TBANK Y00.
ENB