PM Arthur held the torch of regional integration high

Dear Editor,

I am happy to have served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Foreign Trade and International Cooperation during the three terms of Owen Arthur of Barbados.

I accepted him as one of my favourite CARICOM Prime Ministers.

Apart from being a developmental economist, he was an intellectual par excellence and an astute politician.

PM Arthur and his Foreign Minister Billie Miller held the torch of regional integration high always bearing in mind the national interests of Barbados.

They supported me to be CARICOM’s Spokesman on Sugar and at the World Trade Organization negotiations.

I benefited immensely from PM Arthur’s interventions at CARICOM Heads of Government Conferences and other international events where he spoke always in a frank, passionate and erudite manner much to the satisfaction of all present.

Further, I benefited from many one-on-one conversations with PM Arthur on questions such as governance, Caribbean politics and his own personal experience in politics.

I recall during one of his several visits to Guyana, President Jagdeo requested me to accompany PMs Arthur and Hubert Ingraham of The Bahamas to Omai Gold Mines in the interior of our country.

While flying in the small islander aircraft, the door flew open and one of the crewmen accompanying us responded quickly and apologizing to the distinguished passengers, closed the door firmly.

PM Arthur was neither critical nor emotional about the incident, on the contrary, he joked about it and we went on to enjoy the visit to the gold mines that satisfied both men immensely.

I was happy to see him back in Guyana as Head of the Commonwealth Observer Mission to the infamous March elections.

His criticisms about the coalition’s attitude to international observers and thereafter are a true reflection of the measure of the man, Owen Arthur. He made me proud once again.

RIP my good friend.

Yours faithfully,

Clement Rohee