Leaders of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States - the OECS - are meeting in Antigua/Barbuda Thursday and Friday. They've got a packed agenda ranging from plans to set up an Economic Union, airline merger talks tourism and the future of the agriculture industry. Presiding over the meeting is the current OECS chairman, Antigua and Barbuda's prime minister Baldwin Spencer. The OECS leaders will get an update on how the talks between the government-owned LIAT and the privately-held Caribbean Star are progressing. Plans call for a commercial agreement on sharing of facilities to be in place by next month, with the full merger finalised by April. The ministers will also further discuss plans for an Economic Union and are to set up a public awareness campaign on what the planned union entails and its implications for the sub-region. How to advance the vital tourism industry and getting more out of agriculture are also on the agenda - as are international relations and cooperation among OECS states. Reprinted from bbccaribbean.com