Above: Guadeloupe (CJ Photo)
By the Caribbean Journal staff
A delegation from Guadeloupe recently met with CARICOM Secretary General Ambassador Irwin LaRocque for talks on a potential associate membership.
Guadeloupe is one of five Caribbean territories that have applied for associate membership in CARICOM. The others include Curacao, Martinique, French Guyana and St Maarten.
The delegation included Therese Marianne-Pepin, president of the Commission on Cooperation; Olivier Soret, director general for Europe and Cooperation and Lionel Sarotte, cooperation officer.
In a statement, CARICOM said LaRocque “held broad discussions with the delegation, focusing on the structure and operations of CARICOM, the role of Associate Members in the Community and the terms and conditions of Associate Membership.”
Both Martinique and Guadeloupe have been looking to deepen their relationship with the independent countries in the region.
Earlier this week, Martinique joined the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States as an associate member.