Simply put, they mean counting them out of any arrangement at this time on any form of political union.

At the same time, reckon them among those who continue to be firmly committed to advancing regional integration - even beyond current arrangements for a Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME).

Sharing a media briefing ahead of the final closing session last evening of CARICOM's 14th Inter-Sessional Meeting, Patterson and Arthur, regarded as the two most high profile heads of government on Community affairs, were anxious to make a distinction between "governance" to enhance the economic integration process, and any new form of "governance involving political union".

Among CARICOM leaders they respectively have lead responsibilities for the Community's external trade and economic negotiations (Patterson) and arrangements to operationalise the CSME (Arthur).

They were keen, as they said, to provide as much information as possible to the national/regional media on the portfolio responsibilities they carry on behalf of CARICOM.

But they felt constrained to clarify their positions to the media, in the interest of avoiding any confusion, on where they stand in relation to the new attention being paid to "a concept of governance" that was being linked to political integration.

Without calling names, they spoke and fielded questions on the CSME, external trade and economic negotiations, explained the distinction on improved governance for accelerating regional integration, and stressed the importance of active involvement by civil society and the region's media in preparing all member states of the Community to be "fully involved" in the CSME in 2005.

For the assembled media corps there was the general awareness that Patterson and Arthur were offering explanations and making distinctions against separate calls by two other Prime Ministers for CARICOM to move to the stage of a political union.

First, there was the statement by the Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves, in a public lecture on Wednesday night on `Our Caribbean Civilisation and its Political Prospects’ of his advocacy of "a sturdy confederal political arrangement" among CARICOM states.

Earlier, in 2002, he had announced his preparedness for St. Vincent and the Grenadines to team up with any one or two other CARICOM states to launch some form of political union.

By Valentine’s Day, February 14, host Prime Minister of the 14th CARICOM Inter-Sessional Meeting, Patrick Manning, who had presided the previous day at a `Consultation on Options for Governance’ on Regional Integration, chose to make his own declaration on political unity.

To the evident surprise of some of his Community colleagues at the opening session of the Inter-Sessional Meeting on Friday, Manning said:

"Let us firmly put on the table Trinidad and Tobago's intention to enter into discussions with any Caribbean country willing to pursue with us the objective of Caribbean political integration".

Both Prime Ministers Patterson and Arthur therefore felt they had an obligation to their governments and people to clarify their own positions that, while recognising the right of any or all of their other colleagues to move towards political unity, and being willing to even support them in such an objective, they could not now be so involved.

Particularly, as Arthur smilingly remarked: "In the absence of a clear concept of what is being advocated for this new form of governance within the Community, it is like having a song with an enchanting melody but no lyrics".

They repeatedly emphasised the need for recognition that, until otherwise determined, the current economic integration movement represents, as concluded in the 1992 Report of The West Indian Commission, a "Community of sovereign states" - no more or less.

On his specific portfolio responsibility on external trade and economic issues involving virtual simultaneous negotiations with the European Union, World Trade Organisation and for the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), Patterson explained that the situation had changed form one of "policy framework" to the current stage requiring specialised negotiations on specific texts in formulating agreements.

Arthur, speaking on his lead role in CSME arrangements, said that contrary to negative and informed criticisms, the pace at which CARICOM was proceeding towards the creation of a single economic space for all of the 15 economies involved in the Community, was most commendable.

He expects that in 2004 at least three member countries - Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago - to be in complete "CSME readiness", while all the other member states should be in such a position in 2005.