IN mediaeval times, brute nations resolved their differences by going to war and subjugating each other. Thank God that we are in the age of enlightenment, when men and nations can negotiate their way through their differences.

Old tensions undergirding relations between Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago surface now and again — perhaps too frequently some would argue. Even a cursory look at the cause of these tensions, however, would reveal that there is nothing of great substance that divides us. In fact, we have far more in common.

Furthermore, to borrow from former US President Bill Clinton, there is nothing wrong about our relations that cannot be fixed by what is right about it. These two nations, with our common history of slavery and colonialism and an accident of geography, are bound together, inextricably, in the quest for prosperity for our deserving people.

In our family of Caribbean nations, there will always be differences, fights and quarrels. That is almost always a sign that there are still issues to be resolved and that there is more work to be done in this regard.

The rejection and deportation of 13 Jamaicans by Trinidadian immigration authorities is the most recent sign that much work is needed in helping our Caribbean Community (Caricom) nations to fully grasp the importance of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas named, ironically, after the Trinidadian town in which the pact was originally fashioned.

The visionary Caribbean leaders who hammered out the agreement saw that going it alone would not get us anywhere, as poor small nations highly dependent on external economic support to survive. They saw the setback suffered by the region after the failure of the West Indies Federation and renewed the attempt to forge a difficult unity among ourselves, not unlike our former masters in the European Union.

This work continued in the Sir Shridath Ramphal-led West India Commission and the numerous meetings and conferences of the Heads of Government and the agencies of Caricom. It is, indeed, a work-in-progress and a labour of love that must continue through thick and thin. Failure is not an option, because the alternative is too painful to contemplate.

That is why we are solidly behind our Foreign Minister Mr A J Nicholson, who remains steadfast in seeking resolution through negotiations. Mr Nicholson draws his inspiration from the Revised Treaty, which upholds freedom of movement, even if tenuous, among Caricom member nations. He is, like us, an unrepentant regionalist.

It must, of course, have been difficult for Mr Nicholson to have to call in the Trinidadian high commissioner this week to send a signal to Port of Spain that this latest incident cannot stand and demands nothing less than high-level discussions to be spearheaded by the foreign ministers of the two countries.

We had hoped after the Caribbean Court of Justice ruling in the Shanique Myrie case that Caricom member countries would have moved closer to a resolution of the problems experienced at our borders. A continuation of the problem risks holding back the progress we can make in forging a path together into a more glorious future for our region.

That is why in this latest endeavour, Mr Nicholson cannot, and must not fail!