Grenada’s Prime Minister Dr. the Rt. Hon. Keith Mitchell has called the meeting between Caricom Prime Ministers and Prime Minister Blair a successful one. Speaking from London, Prime Minister Mitchell said that Caricom leaders used the opportunity to ask Britain to support a Regional Development Fund which will aid in the successful implementation of the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME). Prime Minister Mitchell said that this development fund was critical to countries like Grenada. He said Grenada and some other islands would need additional financial and technical support to raise their level of competitiveness and readiness for a CSME environment. The leaders also discussed several important issues dealing with the trade of regional bananas and sugar and the effect the erosion of preferences were having on the economies of the region. In response Prime Minister Blair has promised to look into these matters and has also committed to sending a British representative to the Caricom Finance Ministers meeting which will be held in Jamaica on December 12. The Grenadian leader also used the opportunity to continue to press the UK Government for more budgetary support for Grenada. Prime Minister Mitchell thanked Britain for their support thus far but asked Prime Minister Blair to consider continued budgetary support and bilateral debt relief for Grenada. Source: Office of the Prime Minister