Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda the Hon. W. Baldwin Spencer left the country today for Georgetown Guyana where he will attend the Thirtieth Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community CARICOM.

Prime Minister Spencer will be among Caribbean leaders who will address the Opening Ceremony on July 2nd at the National Cultural Centre in Georgetown. Also addressing the Opening Ceremony will be Secretary General Edwin Carrington, Outgoing Chairman of CARICOM Prime Minister Dean Barrow of Belize, Prime Minister of Grenada Tillman Thomas and President of Guyana and Chairman of CARICOM Bharrat Jagdeo.

During the Opening Ceremony, CARICOM will confer the Order of the Caribbean Community OCC on the Most Honourable Percival J. Patterson, former Prime Minister of Jamaica.

In July of last year, Prime0AMinister Spencer in his address at the twenty-ninth Meeting of Heads of Government of CARICOM held here in Antigua, called on CARICOM to honour former Prime Minister Patterson and former President of Cuba Dr. Fidel Castro Ruz with CARICOM's highest honour for their work in the Caribbean. Former President Fidel Castro has since been honoured by CARICOM.

Prime Minister Spencer is expected to address among other things during his remarks the issue of Climate Change and its affects on the region, the current global economic crisis, and the free movement of people.

Among the issues scheduled to be discussed by Heads are matters related to the Tourism Sector, CSME, Crime and Security, CARICOM-US Relations and matters related to Services which will be lead by Prime Minister Spencer.

Prime Minister Spencer is accompanied to the Georgetown meeting by Trade Coordinator Ambassador Dr. Clarence Henry.

Finance and Economy Minister the Hon. Harold Lovell is the Acting Prime Minister in the absence of Prime Minister Spencer.