A D D R E S S
BY
RT. HON. P. J. PATTERSON, P.C., Q.C., M.P.
PRIME MINISTER OF JAMAICA
AT
PRESIDENTIAL BANQUET
BOGOTA, COLOMBIA
TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 1994
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SALUTATIONS
IT IS WITH SINCERE PLEASURE THAT I EXPRESS ON MY OWN BEHALF, AND
THAT OF MY DELEGATION, OUR DEEP APPRECIATION FOR THE WARMTH AND
FRIENDLINESS WITH WHICH WE HAVE BEEN RECEIVED BY THE COLOMBIAN
PEOPLE SINCE OUR ARRIVAL IN THIS BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY.
MY VISIT HERE IS IN RESPONSE TO THE INVITATION YOU SO GRACIOUSLY
EXTENDED TO ME ON THE HISTORIC OCCASION OF THE FIRST STATE VISIT
BY A PRESIDENT OF COLOMBIA TO JAMAICA.
ADMITTEDLY, MR. PRESIDENT, THE ADVANCES OF MODERN TECHNOLOGY MAKE
TELECOMMUNICATION SIMPLE AND EASY. ALTHOUGH YOU AND I HAVE BEEN
IN REGUIAR CONTACT ON THE PHONE, THERE IS NO REAL SUBSTITUTE FOR
THE WARMTH OF A HANDSHAKE AND THE PERSONAL EXCHANGE OF IDEAS
CARRIED OUT IN AN ATMOSPHERE OF MUTUAL RESPECT AND UNITY OF
PURPOSE.
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AS I HAVE VISITED YOUR HISTORIC I.ANDMARl<S AND YOUR NATIONAL
MONUMENTS, I HAVE BEEN IMPRESSED BY THE OBVIOUS PRIDE YOU TAKE IN
THESE SYMBOLS OF PATRIOTISM.
I HAVE ALSO BEEN DEEPLY IMPRESSED BY THE BEAUTY OF YOUR LAND.
YOUR MOUNTAINS, SO SIMILAR TO THOSE IN MY COUNTRY, HAVE HELPED TO
MAKE ME AND MY DELEGATION FEEL EVEN MORE AT HOME.
BUT, IT IS NOT ONLY THE WARMTH OF THE FRIENDSHIP THAT HAS BEEN
EXTENDED, OR THE SIMILARITIES IN OUR TOPOGRAPHY THAT BECKON US TO
STRENGTHEN THE TIES BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES.
AS WE FACE THE COMING MILLENNIUM, WE DO SO NOT ONLY AT THE END OF
A CHRONOLOGICAL PERIOD, BUT AISO THE END OF A POLITICAL AND
ECONOMIC ERA.
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TODAY'S WORLD IS VASTLY DIFFERENT FROM THE ONE IN WHICH WE ENTERED
THIS CENTURY, AND INDEED VASTLY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT IT WAS A MERE
TWO DECADES AGO. THE DANGER OF EXTINCTION AS A CONSEQUENCE OF THE
NUCLEAR ARMS RACE BETWEEN THE WORLD'S SUPERPOWERS HAS OPENED THE
REAL PROSPECT OF CONVERTING THE ARSENALS OF WAR INTO PLOUGHSHARES
FOR UNIVERSAL PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT.
IN THE NEW WORLD ECONOMY, WE HAVE TO BE WATCHFUL SO THAT THE
FORMATION OF LARGE ECONOMIC BLOCS OF DEVELOPED COUNTRIES WILL NOT
RESULT IN THE CONTINUED DOMINATION OF WORLD TRADE, AS WELL AS
COMPLETE CONTROL OF TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES AND GLOBAL ECONOMIC
RESOURCES.
THE NATIONS OF OUR REGION MUST ACT NOW, AND WE MUST ACT DECISIVELY,
OR FACE A FUTURE OF MARGINALIZATION AND PERPETUAL DEPENDENCE.
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EVEN BEFORE WE GAINED OUR OWN INDEPENDENCE, JAMAICA HAD THE
DISTINCTION OF PROVIDING SHELTER FOR THAT GREAT LIBERATOR, SIMON
BOLIVAR. OUR COMMON HISTORY OF COLONIALISM AND OF ITS
CONSEQUENCES FILLED HIS DREAM OF FREEING HIS PEOPLE FROM THE
SHACKLES OF EXTERNAL EXPLOITATION AND UNITING THE PEOPLES OF THIS
REGION.
INSPIRED BY HIS VISION, IT MUST BE OUR IMMEDIATE PURPOSE AS
POLITICAL LEADERS TO FORGE AN UNBREAKABLE BOND OF HARMONY BETWEEN
THE NATIONS OF LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN TO ACHIEVE POLITICAL
STABILITY, SOCIAL MOBILITY AND PROVIDING FOR OUR PEOPLE, THE
IMPROVEMENT IN THE QUALITY OF LIFE WHICH HAS TOO LONG ELUDED US.
WE HAVE TAKEN NOTE OF THE CONSIDERABLE ADVANCES MADE BY THE PEOPLE
OF COLOMBIA DURING YOUR PRESENTIAL TENURE.
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IN JAMAICA, WHILE DIFFICULTIES REMAIN, THERE ARE MARKED SIGNS OF
ECONOMIC PROGRESS.
PROMINENT AMONG OUR GOALS, IS THE DETERMINATION TO FREE OURSELVES
FROM THE DEBT TRAP IN WHICH WE HAVE BEEN CAUGHT FOR THE PAST TWO
DECADES AND TO BEGIN A DETERMINED AND CONCENTRATED ASSAULT ON
POVERTY.
THE RECIPROCAL VISITS WE HAVE UNDERTAKEN GIVE TESTIMONY OF OUR
ACCEPTANCE THAT THERE IS MUCH TO BE GAINED IN WORKING TOGETHER TO
FIND COMMON AND IASTING SOLUTIONS FOR OUR TRADITIONAL PROBLEMS.
MR. PRESIDENT, FROM THE OUTSET YOU AND YOUR GOVERNMENT HAVE
STRONGLY SUPPORTED.
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THIS IS NO TIME TO BE FETTERED BY THE ACCIDENTS OF COLONIAL
CONQUEST OR LANGUAGE. THE IMPERATIVES OF TODAY DETERMINE THAT WE
FORGE NEW AND MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH ALL THE
NATIONS THAT BORDER THE CARIBBEAN SEA. SO WE HOPE THAT THE
ASSOCIATION OF CARIBBEAN STATES WILL BECOME A REALITY THIS JULY.
I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION IN THIS REGARD.
WE ARE AI.SO MAKING SATISFYING PROGRESS IN NEGOTIATIONS WHICH SHOULD
LEAD TO THE CONCLUSION OF AN AGREEMENT IN TRADE, ECONOMIC AND
TECHNICAL COOPERATION BETWEEN CARICOM AND COLOMBIA.
AT THE BILATERAL LEVEL, WE ARE STRENGTHENING TIES IN SUCH AREAS AS
TOURISM, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL INTERACTION, EDUCATION AND TRAINING,
AND IN THE TECHNICAL AND ECONOMIC SPHERES. WE LOOK FORWARD TO
SIGNING FORMAL AGREEMENTS IN THESE AREAS TOMORROW.
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THESE VARIOUS LEVELS OF COLLABORATION WITHIN OUR REGION, AND
BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES IN PARTICULAR, GIVE GREATER MEANING TO
THE PROCESS OF INTEGRATION AND BILATERAL COOPERATION WHICH ARE SO
VITAL TO OUR DEVELOPMENT.
MR. PRESIDENT, MY VISIT HAS BEEN BRIEF BUT VERY FRUITFUL. I AM
OF COURSE WELL AWARE THAT YOU WILL DEMIT OFFICE TO TAKE UP DUTIES
AS SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES. I
ENTERTAIN NO DOUBT THAT YOU WILL TACKLE THESE ONEROUS DUTIES WITH
THE SAME ENERGY AND IMAGINATION THAT ARE THE HALLMARK OF YOUR
OUTSTANDING CAREER. YOU WILL ENJOY OUR FULL SUPPORT. WE ARE
FIRMLY COMMITTED TO THE WORK OF THE OAS, AND I AM CONDIFENT THAT
OUR FRUITFUL RELATIONSHIP WILL ONLY BE FURTHER STRENGTHENED AT THE
WIDER, HEMISPHERIC LEVEL.
ONCE AGAIN, I WISH YOU WELL IN YOUR NEW AND CHALLENGING ASSIGNMENT.
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I EXPRESS THE FERVENT HOPE THAT THE DYNAMIC PROCESS OF CONSULTATION
BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND PEOPLE OF COLOMBIA AND JAMAICA, WHICH
YOU HAVE PLAYED SUCH AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN FOSTERING, WILL BE
NURTURED BY YOUR SUCCESSOR.
MR. PRESIDENT, I THANK YOU FOR YOUR INCOMPARABLE HOSPITALITY, AND
I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUED WARM, PRODUCTIVE AND MUTUALLY
BENEFICIAL RELATIONS BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES.
SALUD.
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