MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica – Caribbean officials and their European Union (EU) counterparts yesterday ended two days of talks here reporting that they were closer to reaching agreement on a new trade deal.

Richard Bernal, head of the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (CRNM), said the meeting between the prime ministers and presidents of the Caribbean Forum (CARIFORUM) region and EU Commissioners was a useful and timely one during which several issues were hammered out.

"There are, however, some issues where we have not arrived at consensus but we have aired our respective positions and the differences are being narrowed," the region's lead trade negotiator said.

African Caribbean and Pacific states states are negotiating a new Economic Partnership Agreement with the EU to replace current trade deals which the World Trade Organisation said must be phased out by yearend to bring Europe and its former territories into line with international trade arrangements.

CARICOM countries are negotiating jointly with the Dominican Republic as CARIFORUM.

While the talks have concluded here, Bernal said CARIFORUM officials and technicians will next week go into technical working groups to continue looking at aspects of the agreement, in particular the marketing aspect of CARIFORUM which deals with goods.

"This will be followed by a meeting of the technical negotiators of the EU and the CARIFORUM region and then the results will be passed to a meeting of the principal negotiators on both sides," Bernal said.

Meanwhile, it is understood that one issue placed on the agenda at the Montego Bay talks was a scheme which could see the EU contributing to the Regional Development Fund (RDF) which was set up by regional states to assist them to integrate into the CARICOM Single Market and Economy.

The talks, which were chaired by Jamaica Prime Minister Bruce Golding, the leader with responsibility for external trade negotiations in the quasi CARICOM Cabinet, were attended by EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson and Commissioner for Development
and Humanitarian Aid Lois Michel.

Also in attendance at the meeting were chairman of CARICOM, Barbados Prime Minister Owen Arthur, Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of Belize Said Musa, and President of Guyana Bharat Jagdeo.

At the opening of the talks Golding said he was concerned about the "frenetic pace" of the negotiations to conclude the
new trade deal by yearend and urged caution.
(CMC)