CASTRIES, St Lucia (CMC) – St Lucia Prime Minister Allen Chastanet yesterday promised to engage in frank and in-depth discussions with his Caribbean Community (CARICOM) counterparts about his government’s concerns with the operations of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).

Speaking to CMC News ahead of the 39th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM which begins in Montego Bay, Jamaica on Wednesday evening, Chastanet said “St Lucia is going to this meeting with a clear agenda that it cannot be business as usual”.

“We intend having frank and open on the fairness of the CSME model or the lack of it, as well as areas such as security and climate change,” said the prime minister who is leading a delegation that also includes Minister with responsibility for External Affairs, Sarah Flood-Beaubrun, and St Lucia’s Ambassador to CARICOM, Elma Gene Isaac.

CARICOM officials say an entire day of the three-day summit will be dedicated to the CSME. The heads will be locked in that discussion on Thursday.

They will also consider the Report of the Commission to Review Jamaica’s Relations within the CARICOM and CARIFORUM Frameworks, which also references the status of the CSME versus decisions that were taken to move the flagship programme forward.

Heads of Government will meet in plenary and caucus on Thursday and Friday to deliberate on matters of importance to the Caribbean Community, including measures impacting the implementation of CSME, crime and security in the region and emerging geo-political developments which can have an impact on the region’s growth prospects.