St. GEORGE'S, Grenada - The Fourth Special Meeting of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Council on Trade and Economic Development (COTED) on External Negotiations gets underway here on Friday. COTED, the second highest decision making body within the regional integration grouping, will discuss the status of negotiations in which the region is involved including the World Trade Organization (WTO), Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), CARIFORUM-European Union (EU) Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), and bilateral negotiations. Director-General of the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (RNM), Dr. Richard Bernal, has characterized the COTED meeting as a timely opportunity for the region "given the prevailing situation in the WTO and the stalled FTAA negotiations". "The region will use this important meeting to review its options and strategy," he said. Meanwhile, a senior Grenada government official has described as "very significant" the upcoming "Meeting of the Conference of the Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM)" to be held here next week. Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wilfred Hayes, has dismissed suggestions that the July 4-7 summit will be just another talk shop with no concrete results. "This meeting is a very significant one for CARICOM, particularly as it relates to Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) and the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) said Hayes, a former Diplomat. He told reporters that he was certain the regional leaders would not want to leave Grenada without advancing plans to establish the CSME, which regional leaders regard as a significant response to the changing global environment, by 2005. The regional government leaders are also expected to discuss a number of other issues including Haiti, the 2007 Cricket World Cup to be staged in the Caribbean, the European Union plans to establish an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) and the restructuring of the Guyana-based CARICOM Secretariat. Another highlight of the summit will be the launch of "Radio CARICOM" and the Caribbean Knowledge Learning Network. SOURCE: CARIBUPDATE.COM