"(We are involved in) a process to create a Community that brings people of the Caribbean closer together, that maximises our strengths and presents a unified front to external threats and external relations", Mr. Jagdeo said yesterday in an interview with Mr. Adam Harris, Editor of the `Prime News' TV programme.

The Government Information Agency (GINA) quoted the President as saying that the benefits of the conference to Guyana and the Caribbean may not be seen immediately as there are decisions that have to be implemented.

According to GINA, the President noted that CARICOM faces a number of threats, including harmful international tax initiatives, the loss of preferential markets within the European Union, and a reduction in the flow of development assistance.

GINA reported the President as saying that these problems cannot be handled by individual member states and so the just concluded conference agreed to "craft collective policies".

President Jagdeo noted that some concrete decisions came out of the conference, one of which was to establish a $US100M trust fund to finance the setting up of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ)

However, the President said a lot of work would have to be done.

"In Guyana's case, because we have a final court, we would have to amend our laws to allow for appeals to the CCJ.

"In some countries, they may need a referendum to decide whether they can go that route or not. What we need to do is educate our people a bit more about the benefits of this court to the region", the President said.