In Washington, DC, last week, Congressman Charles Rangel (center-standing) hosted a meeting of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) delegation with members of the House Ways and Means Committee, which he chairs. CARICOM requested extension of the Caribbean Basin Initiative and capacity-building assistance to enable the region to increase its competitiveness in the global economy.

First Row (Left to Right): Hon. W. Baldwin Spencer, PM, Antigua and Barbuda; Hon. Brent Symonette, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs; Hon. Owen S. Arthur, PM, Barbados; Hon. Lisa Shoman, Foreign Minister, Belize; Hon. Roosevelt Skerrit, PM, Dominica; Hon. Keith Mitchell, PM, Grenada; Hon. Bharrat Jagdeo, President, Guyana; Hon. Daniel Dorsainvil, Minister of Finance, Haiti; Hon. Anthony Hylton, Foreign Minister, Jamaica; Hon. Stephenson King, PM Saint Lucia; Hon. Louis Straker, Foreign Minsiter, St. Vincent and the Grenadines; Hon. Ramdien Sardjoe, VP of Surinam; Hon. Patrick Manning, PM Trinidad and Tobago; Hon. Edwin Carrington CARICOM.

Standing (Left to Right): Sander Levin (MI); Wally Herger (CA); Donna M. Christensen (VI); Sam Johnson (TX), Kevin Brady (TX), Jerry Weller (IL); Jim McCrery (LA); Chairman Charles B. Rangel (NY); Dr. Denzil Douglas (PM, St. Kitts and Nevis); Richard Neal (MA); Kendrick Meek (FL); Shelley Berkley (NV); Allyson Y. Schwartz (PA); John Lewis, Artur Davis (AL); Ron Kind (WI).

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