[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 79 (Wednesday, June 15, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1237]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            THE CARIBBEAN MULTI-NATIONAL BUSINESS CONFERENCE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 15, 2005

  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the accomplishments 
and success of the Caribbean Multi-National Business Conference, 
organized by the New York Carib News, which will celebrate its tenth 
anniversary this year in the U.S. Virgin Islands between November 10 
and 13. Thanks to the hard work and dedicated effort of the organizers 
of this event, a real dialogue between U.S. and Caribbean businesses 
has emerged that promises to generate plenty of economic benefit for 
both the U.S. and the island nations of the Caribbean.
  Karl and Faye Rodney, the publishers of the New York Carib News have 
brought together hundreds of elected officials, civic leaders, 
entrepreneurs, and business executives from the U.S. and the Caribbean 
to explore the possibilities and opportunities for economic growth and 
expansion in the Caribbean. This year's conference will be held in St. 
Thomas and promises to be an extraordinary success.
  Personally, I have found the conference extremely influential in 
building and supporting political and econbmic relationships between 
this country and the nations of the Caribbean. I have also had the 
honor of participating in these successful conferences and know that 
they are extremely enlightening and educational endeavors that nurture 
a growing and important global sector in the world.
  This conference has repeatedly addressed important issues of concern 
to our mutual economic interets. It has concentrated on the challenges 
and problems of foreign investment, market access, and private sector 
support. The attendees at the conference come with bright ideas and 
innovative solutions to these problems and to addressing our common 
concerns.
  I encourage my colleagues and businesses throughout the country to 
consider attending this year's conference. I submit for the Record a 
Carib News article providing an assessment of this year's planning and 
the opportunities available for corporations, government leader, and 
citizens, written by Tony Best, who always participates and provides 
wise guidance and counsel.

                Set for St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

       A decade after it was launched to build bridges between 
     Caribbean and the U.S. businsses the Caribbean Multi-National 
     Business Conference is moving towards an important milestone 
     in its evolution.
       It is the 10th anniversary of an innovation in economic and 
     social developmet partnerships, spurred by links between the 
     large, mediumsized and small businesses in an area that 
     stretches from New York, Washington DC, Miami, Colorado, 
     Chicago, Ohio, Texas, New Jersey, and other parts of the U.S. 
     to such nations and territories as Jamaica, Barbados, St. 
     Lucia, St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Grenada, St. 
     Marteen, the Bahamas, and St. Kitts-Nevis.
       The annual Caribbean Multi-National conference which 
     brought together about 4,000 Caribbean and U.S. business amd 
     Government leaders since 1995 to discuss everything from 
     investment, Hemispheric trade and bilateral economic and 
     social partnerships to U.S.-Caribbean relations and health 
     and education challenges is scheduled to be held at Caribbean 
     regional integration, in the U.S. and the Caribbean, 
     especially the members of CARICOM is bemg held this year in 
     St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands between November 10-13.
       The conference has become a highly sucessful annual event 
     for those interested in creating profitable business 
     parnerships in the Caribbean and for goverment 
     representatives whose goal is to improve the quality of 
     people's lives, said Pamela Richards, U.S. Virgin Island's 
     Commissioner of Tourism, who is also Chairman of the Board of 
     the Caribbean Tourism Organization.
       We have seen the positive results of these meetings, ever 
     since the 1998 meeting in St. Croix. We are delighted that we 
     are being given another opportunity to serve as hosts.
       With issues that range from foreign investment, access to 
     markets, the essential role of the private sector in economic 
     expansion and job creation to the march forward in 
     information communications technology on the table for 
     consideration, this year's meeting in St. Thomas, Dr. Karl 
     Rodney, Publisher of the New York Carib News and the driving 
     force behind the conference's 10-year record of success, said 
     that they expect the sessions in St. Thomas to attract the 
     largest gatherings of participants.
       We have already seen an exceptionally high level of 
     interest, he explained. One reason is the appeal of St. 
     Thomas. Another is the track record of providing participants 
     with a unique chance to explore commercial deals and to share 
     ideas about new business ventures in several fields, be it 
     retailing, manufacturing, tourism, and other services and 
     import-export.
       The presence of many members of the U.S. Congress, senior 
     Caribbean government ministers and their advisers would once 
     again allow them to have a meaningful exchange of ideas about 
     moving U.S Caribbean relations forward. U.S. Congressional 
     delegate from the U.S. Virgin Islands, Representative Dr. 
     Donna Christian Christensen, agreed. We in Congress and 
     outside of it, know the value of the conference both in terms 
     of the business ventures that evolve out of the private 
     meetings and the public sessions and the discussions which 
     take place during the Dialogue between elected 
     representatives and other Government officials from the U.S. 
     and the Caribbean, said Congresswoman who has attended almost 
     all the conference. That's why we in the U.S. Virgin Islands 
     consider it an honor to welcome the participants from across 
     the U.S. and the Caribbean.

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