P.M. returns from summit in Guadalupe

Prime Minister Said Musa returned to Belize today after attending a summit in Guadalupe and opening “Belize Week” in the City of Merida. In Guadalupe, the PM and CARIforum heads of Government met with French President Jacques Chirac to discuss European Union/Caribbean relations and French bilateral programs for the Caribbean. The French President pledged support for Caribbean Banana exports into the European market and enhanced assistance for disaster relief, anti-drug trafficking and other areas of concern in the region. Prime Minister Musa briefed the CARIforum heads on the recent developments in Belize Guatemala relations and they expressed their overwhelming support for Belize’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The issue will be discussed on Tuesday at a meeting at the Organization of American States in Washington D.C. The Prime Minister then traveled to Merida in Mexico’s Yucatan. The city has been declared the first cultural capital of the Americas by the OAS. The Mayor of Merida Xavier Abreau Pierra presented the Prime Minister with the keys to the city as part of “Belize Week” and the P.M. opened an exhibition of Belizean artists entitled “Zero” at the Olimpio Hall. On Sunday Garifuna artists performed Punta and Paranda music in the Park of the Americas and a Belize Column was unveiled in the park.