Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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March 21, 2008

Bush Discusses Trade, Tourism with Caribbean Leaders
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=1B9E1AA:A6F02AD83191E1603CB68A18CA6A7C9F98CBE7246176B735& US president says
he went out of his way during session to assure prime ministers that
the United States remains engaged in 'the neighborhood' President Bush
conferred Thursday at the White House with the leaders of three
Caribbean nations: Barbados, the Bahamas and Belize. VOA's Paula
Wolfson has the story.







>From left, PM of Bahamas, President Bush, PMs of Barbados and Belize
The three prime ministers came to Washington at the invitation of the
president to talk about regional matters.

Mr. Bush says trade and tourism topped the list.

"We talked about how to make sure that our security needs are met
without interrupting the ability for our people to travel as freely as
possible and the ability of people to be able to make a good living as
a result of tourism," he said.

The president says he also went out of his way during the session to
assure the three prime ministers that the United States remains
engaged in "the neighborhood."

"It was important for these leaders to know that we believe a good,
strong, healthy, vibrant neighborhood is in the interest of the United
States," he said.

Two of the Caribbean leaders who took part in the meeting were
recently elected to office, David Thompson of Barbados, and Dean
Barrow of Belize. Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham of the Bahamas, the
veteran of the group, spoke for the three at the end of the White
House meeting.

He told reporters he was especially interested in their discussions
with President Bush on trade, specifically the fate of the package of
trade programs known as the Caribbean Basin Initiative.

"We have discussed with him a number of issues of relevance and
concern to ourselves including the desire on our part to have the
Caribbean Initiative Act extended, which expires in September of this
year," he said.

The Caribbean Basin Initiative was launched in 1983 and expanded in
2000. It currently provides 19 Caribbean countries with duty-free
access to the U.S. market for most goods.


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