P.M. prepares for Monterrey summit
Over the weekend, Prime Minister Said Musa and Minister of Foreign Affairs Godfrey Smith will depart Belize bound for Monterrey, Mexico for the Special Summit of the Americas. According to Musa, the summit provides the opportunity for the leaders of thirty-four democratic countries to address urgent issues facing the region.
Prime Minister Said Musa
“It will allow Belize to be able… first of all for me to speak with other heads of government to make known our concerns, our needs. This will not be just on the trade issue, although that’s a very important component, the Free Trade Areas of the Americas, but also dealing with certainly my concerns, dealing with issues such as economic growth with equity. Because one of the things we find is that because of the way the world is structured today in this so called new world order, the industrialized nations have moved away from development assistance to developing countries pretty much and they are now talking strictly of loans. They are not pressing ahead with their trades issues from their side on a reciprocal basis and there is now way small countries like Belize or indeed countries of CARICOM, or Central America for that matter, can survive if that type of tendency continues. There has to be a change in the mindset, and the only way we can bring about that change is for is to keep on hammering away as a group. This is where Belize serves as a very important bridge between CARICOM and Central America. And indeed both sub-regions have elected me to represent them on this sub-committee dealing with economic growth with equity at the summit. And we will certainly use this occasion to make known the concerns of small states in this new global order and to see whether in the Americas we can fashion a type of development that will benefit not just the rich industrialised nations, but more importantly the poor developing countries of this hemisphere.”
Meetings leading up to the Special Summit of the Americas began today in Monterrey, while the heads of government arrive for the two-day conference on January twelfth and thirteenth.
