[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 14539]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            CARIBBEAN LEADERS READY TO NEGOTIATE AT CARICOM

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 9, 2008

  Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to enter into the Record a 
July 1, 2008 New York Carib News article entitled: ``Saint Vincent and 
the Grenadines PM wants LIAT, Caribbean Airlines Collaboration.'' The 
article attests to the combined Caribbean effort to forge business ties 
with partners in the U.S. financial community.
  There is a new way of thinking about air service to the Caribbean. 
``We have to think large and we have to think in a strategic sense with 
these matters,'' said Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves. He has suggested 
that the Antigua based airline LIAT become a subsidiary of Caribbean 
Airlines and essentially create a ``nexus.'' In the future he believes 
that Air Jamaica and Bahamas Air will join the collaboration to create 
a regional airline service.
  These plans were largely facilitated at the New York CARICOM 
Conference. The conference provided a medium through which Caribbean 
leaders could propose their vision for the economic reshaping of the 
Caribbean.

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