Above: Fort de France, Martinique (CJ Photo)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

The French Caribbean just got a whole lot closer to the rest of the region.

In a ceremony this week in Fort-de-France, the French Caribbean department of Martinique officially joined the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States as an associate member, the first-ever French territory to do so.

“Immediately following the historic and unanimous Oct. 2014 approval by the Regional Council of Martinique’s associate membership, the OECS Commission had engaged our sister territory in all of the major meetings of the OECS,” said OECS Director General Dr Didacus Jules. “Within 48 hours of the vote, Martinique was actively involved in meetings with the OECS health authority on Ebola and Chikugunya, in compliance with international health regulations. Martinique was also offering access to the most advanced medical technology for cancer detection, the cytotron.”

Martinique was the host territory for what was the 60th meeting of the OECS Authority this week.

“Our intention, our hope, and our aspiration is that this ascension will further the interests of Martinique as well as that of the other OECS states,” Jules said. “We expect that the deepening of collaboration as we follow the signing will also find expression in the broadening of business and special interests.”