Communiqué Issued At The Conclusion Of The Twenty-Sixth Meeting Of The Conference Of Heads Of Government Of The Caribbean Community (CARICOM), 3-6 July 2005, Gros Islet, Saint Lucia

Heads of Government reviewed the state of readiness of the Member States of the Community to begin full operation of the Single Market by December 2005 and in respect of their full integration into the CSME, including the preparation of their domestic economies and implementation of treaty obligations. Heads of Government welcomed the fast-track steps taken by Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago to become Single Market compliant since March 2005 and took note of the strenuous efforts being made by all the remaining Member States to achieve Single Market treaty-compliance and overall readiness. They reflected on the constraints which Member States faced and the challenges of accelerated integration among states of differing capabilities and competitive strengths and reaffirmed their commitment to the long-held Community principle of special and differential treatment for the disadvantaged among the Member States.