SVG ENGAGES IN SIXTIETH COTED MEETING AMID PUSH FOR TRADE REFORM
A delegation from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is actively participating in the ongoing Sixtieth Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED), convened in Georgetown, Guyana. This critical gathering of regional Ministers and senior trade officials is taking place in a shifting global trade environment, as CARICOM Member States seek to reinforce economic resilience and deepen integration.
The Vincentian delegation is led by the Honourable Frederick Stephenson, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, and Consumer Affairs, and includes Mrs. Okolo John Patrick, Director of Trade; Mr. Romel Currency, Trade Officer II; and Mrs. Nicollet Dalton, Trade Officer I.
The meeting, chaired by the Honourable Kerrie Symmonds, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Barbados, is focused on several urgent priorities:
-Advancing trade discussions with the United States and Colombia;
-Finalising the certification of the Belize–El Salvador Partial Scope Agreement;
-Accelerating the revision and implementation of the Common External Tariff and the Community’s Rules of Origin;
-Strengthening regional production and intra-regional trade through modernised trade facilitation policies and entrepreneurship support.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has actively contributed to discussions on dismantling trade barriers, removing longstanding non-compliance issues from the regional agenda, and exploring diversified economic partnerships to mitigate recent global tariff shocks.
The meeting also features a report on the development of a Regional Industrial Policy, viewed as a cornerstone for deepening CARICOM’s integration strategy. Delegates are encouraged to focus on finalising and implementing this framework to guide sustainable growth across the Community.
For further information, please contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Consumer
Affairs at telephone number 784-456-2060.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and PRESS RELEASE
Foreign Trade and Consumer Affairs
Administrative Building For more information contact:
Tel: (784) 456-2060
Kingstown, Bay St.
Email: [email protected]
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, W.I.
[email protected]
Minister Stephenson and his delegation reiterated Saint Vincent and the Grenadines’ commitment to collaborative action, efficient use of regional resources, and the strategic alignment of trade policy with the broader goals of economic growth, private sector engagement, and sustainable development. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, and Consumer Affairs remains dedicated to supporting initiatives that build a more competitive, inclusive, and integrated Caribbean economy.
