The recommendation was made when Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and International Business Christopher Sinckler addressed the opening session of a Small Island Developing States (SIDS) meeting Tuesday evening at the Hilton Hotel.

Sinckler described Iceland as "an ardent supporter of small island developing states".

He said Iceland had made "a concrete and significant contribution" to these countries' development efforts.

"My Government would be very interested in seeing a formal relationship put in place, at the regional level, of collaboration with Iceland in the context of a partnership for development co-operation," he told the gathering.

"Such a partnership would not only be in full accordance with the Caribbean Community's Declaration of Functional Co-operation, it would also be in compliance with the eighth Millennium Development Goal [a global partnership for development]."

Sinckler was addressing delegates to the High-level Roundtable on International Co-operation for Sustainable Development in Caribbean SIDS.

The three-day meeting was organised by the governments of Barbados and Iceland, and the United Nations.

Sinckler complained that there was also "a marked inadequacy of international co-operation, external resources and technology to implement" action plans developed in Barbados and Mauritius to boost the development of SIDS.

The United Nations' Under-Secretary General for Economic and Social Affairs, Sha Zukang, is among those attending the meeting. (TY)