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ADDRESS
BY
RT. HONOURABLE P.J. PATTERSON
PRIME MINISTER OF JAMAICA
AT
OFFICIAL DINNER IN MEXICO
ON
SEPTEMBER 1, 1993
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YOUR EXCELLENCY,
PRESIDENT CARLOS SALINAS DE GORTARI AND SENORA SALINAS DE GORTARI,
MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, FERNANDO SOLANA MORALES AND SENORA
SOLANA MORALES,
OTHER MEMBERS OF THE GOVERNMENT OF MEXICO,
MEMBERS OF THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS, DISTINGUISHED GUESTS,
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
IT IS INDEED A GREAT PLEASURE FOR ME TO EXPRESS, ON MY OWN BEHALF
AND THAT OF MY DELEGATION, OUR DEEP APPRECIATION FOR THE SPLENDID
MEXICAN HOSPITALITY WHICH WE HAVE RECEIVED. THE PEOPLE OF MEXICO
HAVE DEMONSTRATED TIME AND TIME AGAIN THEIR GENUINE FRIENDSHIP AND
RESPECT FOR JAMAICA AND ITS PEOPLE. ONCE AGAIN, YOU HAVE EXCEEDED
ALL OUR EXPECTATIONS.
MR. PRESIDENT, THE EXCELLENT RELATIONS WHICH EXIST BETWEEN MEXICO
AND JAMAICA ARE EXEMPLIFIED BY THE AGREEMENTS WHICH HAVE BEEN
SIGNED AND THE COOPERATION PROJECTS WHICH HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED.
PRIMARY AMONG THESE OF COURSE IS THE SAN JOSE ACCORD WHICH WAS
RECENTLY RENEWED. FOR THE 14TH CONSECUTIVE YEAR. THROUGH THIS
ACCORD, JAMAICA HAS BEEN ABLE TO ADDRESS A NUMBER OF ECONOMIC AND
SOCIAL ISSUES WHICH CONFRONT US AS WE SEEK TO DEVELOP OUR COUNTRY.
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WHILE ALL OUR BILATERAL ACCORDS CANNOT YIELD SUCH SUBSTANTIAL
RESULTS, WE MUST MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO ENSURE THAT EACH IS FULLY
ACTIVATED TO FULFIL ITS ORIGINAL PURPOSE. DURING THIS VISIT WE
HAVE NOT SOUGHT TO SIGN ANY NEW AGREEMENT, BUT RATHER TO IDENTIFY
PRIORITY AREAS OF COOPERATION, TO FIND MEASURES THAT ENSURE
EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF EXISTING AGREEMENTS AND ELEVATE THE
COOPERATIVE RELATIONS BETWEEN OUR TWO NATIONS TO NEW HEIGHTS.
MR. PRESIDENT, WE HAVE MADE SOME STRIDES TOWARDS INCREASING THE
PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE CONTACT BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES. IN JUNE OF
THIS YEAR, REPRESENTATIVES OF OUR TOURISM AND RELATED SECTORS MET
IN KINGSTON AND REACHED AGREEMENTS WHICH WILL HAVE IMPLICATIONS FOR
LANGUAGE TRAINING AND THE SHARING OF OUR EXPERIENCES IN THE TOURIST
INDUSTRY.
JUST A MONTH AGO, WE WELCOMED IN JAMAICA A FOLKLORE GROUP FROM THE
STATE OF VERA CRUZ WHICH PARTICIPATED IN OUR 31ST INDEPENDENCE
ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS.
I MUST ALSO EXPRESS APPRECIATION FOR THE INTEREST AND SUPPORT WHICH
YOUR GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN SHOWING IN AND PROVIDING TO THE LATIN
AMERICAN CARIBBEAN CENTRE TO BE ESTABLISHED UNDER THE AUSPICES OF
THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES. THIS CENTRE WILL NOT ONLY
ENCOMPASS LANGUAGE STUDIES, BUT WILL SERVE AS A REPOSITORY OF
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OF MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING AS WELL AS FACILITATE TRADE AND OTHER LINKS
BETWEEN THE PEOPLES OF THIS REGION AND THE CARIBBEAN.
IT IS WITH A VIEW TO A FURTHER STRENGTHENING OF OUR BILATERAL
CONTACTS AND DEEPENING THE REGIONAL COMMITMENT WE BOTH SHARE THAT
I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE TO VISIT WITH YOU ON THIS OCCASION.
WE FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT OUR DOMESTIC POLICIES AS WELL AS OUR
EXTERNAL RELATIONS MUST BE GEARED TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE
REALITIES OF A WORLD ECONOMY THAT IS INCREASINGLY GLOBALIZED,
MARKET-DRIVEN AND TECHNOLOGICALLY ORIENTED.
IN THIS NEW INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT WE CANNOT SHIRK FROM
TAKING THE NECESSARY TOUGH DECISIONS TO TRANSFORM OUR ECONOMY INTO
ONE THAT IS MARKET-DRIVEN . NOR DARE WE FORGET THAT A COUNTRY MUST
ADDRESS NOT ONLY ITS ECONOMIC EQUATION, BUT MUST TACKLE ITS SOCIAL
NEEDS WITH NO LESSER SENSE OF URGENCY.
JAMAICA IS NOW FIRMLY AND IRREVOCABLY ON THE PATH OF A FULL
TRANSFORMATION OF OUR ECONOMY. WE ARE DETERMINED TO MAKE THE
CURRENT EXTENDED FUND FACILITY WITH THE IMF OUR LAST AND FORGE A
RELATIONSHIP WITH THAT INSTITUTION THAT IS NOT BORN OF DEPENDENCY.
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ADDITIONALLY, MY GOVERNMENT HAS ACKNOWLEDGED THE NECESSITY TO
SIMPLIFY AND IMPROVE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF OUR TAX AND INCENTIVES
SYSTEMS AND THE NEED TO RE-TOOL AND MODERNIZE THE MANUFACTURING
SECTOR, IN ORDER TO IMPROVE ITS COMPETITIVENESS BOTH AT HOME AND
ABROAD. IN THIS REGARD, JAMAICA HAS MUCH TO LEARN FROM THE MEXICAN
EXPERIENCE IN PRIVATIZATION AND THE RESTRUCTURING OF ITS ECONOMY.
IN JAMAICA, A RESPONSIBLE PRIVATE SECTOR IS NOW BEING EXPOSED TO
THE CHALLENGE OF MOVING OUR ECONOMY INTO THE 21ST CENTURY OF FREE
TRADE WHERE COMPETITION IS INTENSE AND PROTECTIONISM IS NO MORE.
IT IS NO COINCIDENCE THAT MY DELEGATION INCLUDES A REPRESENTATIVE
GROUP OF JAMAICAN PRIVATE SECTOR PERSONNEL WHO HAVE BEEN MEETING
WITH THEIR COUNTERPARTS IN CEMAI. WE HOPE THAT THIS WILL BE THE
BEGINNING OF A LASTING AND FRUITFUL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THESE TWO
GROUPS.
MR. PRESIDENT, FOR FAR TOO LONG THE MINDS OF MEN HAVE BEEN LOCKED
IN STERILE CONFRONTATION ~ETWEEN EAST AND WEST.
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BOTH THE CESSATION OF COLD WAR RIVALRIES, THE TALENTS AND POTENTIAL
OF MANKIND CAN NOW BE FULLY FOCUSSED ON ADVANCING THE DEVELOPMENT
PROCESS, WHICH HAD BEEN DERAILED IN TOO MANY PARTS OF THE THIRD
WORLD. HUMAN DEVELOPMENT CAN NOW BE GIVEN THE UNDIVIDED FOCUS OF
ENTIRE NATIONS AND CONCENTRATE THE ENERGIES OF OUR BRIGHTEST MINDS.
THE DEVELOPED COUNTRIES HAVE NOW CLOSED THEIR IDEOLOGICAL DIVIDE.
I THEY HAVE ACHIEVED UNPRECEDENTED LEVELS OF TECHNOLOGICAL MASTERY
AND THREATEN TO COMMAND AN EVER INCREASING SHARE OF WORLD TRADE.
THIS WILL RESULT IN ACQUIRING MORE CONTROL OF THE ECONOMIC
RESOURCES NEEDED FOR FURTHER TECHNOLOGICAL PROGRESS.
IN THIS SITUATION, THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES MUST BEGIN TO TAKE OUR
ECONOMIC DESTINY INTO OUR OWN HANDS IF WE ARE NOT TO REMAIN MERE
MENDICANT BENEFICIARIES OF WHATEVER SURPLUS THE MAJOR
INDUSTRIALIZED COUNTRIES ARE ABLE OR INCLINED TO SHARE.
WE MUST THEREFORE BEGIN TO POOL, IN A PURPOSEFUL AND COHERENT WAY,
SUCH ECONOMIC AND HUMAN RESOURCES AS WE POSSESS IN ORDER TO MAKE
OUR OWN CONTRIBUTION TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF WORLD TRADE AND ON TERMS
WHICH CAN ENSURE FOR US A FAIR SHARE OF SUCH DEVELOPMENT.
IT IS FOR THESE REASONS THAT WE HAVE BEGUN AND WILL CONTINUE TO
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PLACE INCREASING EMPHASIS ON OUR RELATIONS WITH THE COUNTRIES OF
OUR CARIBBEAN REGION AND TO WIDEN OUR CIRCLE OF ASSOCIATION
THROUGHOUT THE DEVELOPING WORLD. IN SO DOING, WE MUST OF COURSE
START FROM OUR ALREADY ESTABLISHED REGIONAL GROUPING, CARICOM AND
EXTEND TO THE REST OF LATIN AMERICA.
IT IS IN THIS CONTEXT THAT CARICOM LEADERS HAVE COMMITTED
THEMSELVES TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN ASSOCIATION OF CARIBBEAN
STATES WHICH WILL ALSO SEEK TO ENCOMPASS THE NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING
COUNTRIES OF THE CARIBBEAN, AS WELL AS THE COUNTRIES OF SOUTH AND
CENTRAL AMERICA THAT BORDER ON THE CARIBBEAN SEA. TO THIS
ASSOCIATION WE IN JAMAICA HAVE LONG BEEN COMMITTED. WE SEE THE
RESULTING TRADE, ECONOMIC, INSTITUTIONAL AND CULTURAL LINKAGES AS
AN ESSENTIAL INGREDIENT FOR OUR OWN FUTURE DEVELOPMENT, AND FOR THE
PROGRESS OF THE REGION AS A WHOLE.
IT IS WITHIN THIS CONTEXT OF REGIONAL UNITY ALSO THAT WE PLAN TO
FACE THE CHALLENGES PRESENTED BY NAFTA. THE ABILITY OF CARICOM TO
ACT AS A COHESIVE REGIONAL BODY IN THE FACE OF THESE CHALLENGES
WILL BE SUBJECT TO MUCH SCRUTINY. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE
RESILIENCE AND ADAPTABILITY OF THE ECONOMIES OF INDIVIDUAL MEMBER
COUNTRIES WILL BE SEVERELY TESTED. WE EXPECT THE SUPPORT AND
UNDERSTANDING OF YOUR GOVERNMENT IN ADDRESSING OUR LEGITIMATE
CONCERNS.
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MR. PRESIDENT, THIS TRIP MARKS THE CONTINUATION OF A LONG TRADITION
OF RECIPROCAL STATE VISITS. YOU ENDEARED YOURSELF TO ALL THOSE WHO
HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO MEET YOU ON YOUR JOURNEY TO OUR ISLAND 3 YEARS
AGO. WE ARE OVERWHELMED THAT YOU HAVE RECEIVED US WITH SUCH OPEN
ARMS TO YOUR PLEASANT SHORES.
THE AMICABLE DISCUSSIONS WE HELD THEN HAVE BEEN CEMENTED BY THE
CORDIAL AND PRODUCTIVE DIALOGUE IN WHICH WE HAVE BOTH ENGAGED HERE
IN AN ATMOSPHERE OF WARMTH, FRIENDSHIP, MUTUAL RESPECT AND HARMONY
OF PURPOSE.
IN CLOSING, I MUST ONCE AGAIN THANK THE MEXICAN GOVERNMENT AND
PEOPLE FOR THEIR WARMTH AND FRIENDSHIP TO JAMAICA OVER MANY
DECADES, AND WISH TO EXPRESS MY CONFIDENCE THAT WITH CONTINUED
WILLINGNESS ON BOTH SIDES, THESE BONDS WILL BE FURTHER STRENGTHENED
IN THE YEARS TO COME. UWI LIBRARIES
