EU trade commissioner Peter Mandelson is in Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana this week to hold talks with trade ministers and discuss bananas. “I wanted to go early in my mandate to as EU trade commissioner to a country from the ACP group,” said Mandelson. “The EU has always had a strong relationship with the Caribbean region and there are important issues to discuss including bananas and sugar. I will also be concentrating on the development aspects of the Economic Partnership Agreement that the EU is negotiating with the Caribbean region. We want an agreement that puts economic development first.”

The centrepiece of the visit will be a meeting with the Caribbean trade ministers in the Caribbean Council for Trade and Economic Development (Coted) on Thursday. Coted promotes trade and economic development of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) countries and oversees the operations of the Caricom single market and economy (CSME) that the community is implementing.

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