OPENING ADDRESS BY THE MOST HON. P. J. PATTERSON AT THE SECOND ENERGY SUMMIT OF HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENTS OF THE CARIBBEAN AND VENEZUELA

Jamaica has been afforded the distinctive privilege of hosting the second PetroCaribe Summit today, for it was on the 6th September 1815, that the great and revered Liberator Simon Bolivar wrote La Carta de Jamaica.
It was during his exile here in Jamaica that he articulated his dream to free this continent of the yoke of Spanish imperialism and proclaimed his vision for a New World which would break the chains of tyranny and promote a community of interest, born in a principle of affinity.
This legendary warrior holds a special place in our country’s history and has been accorded the distinction of being the first and only foreign national whose statue appears within the precincts of our own National Heroes’ Park.
We meet today as Leaders of nations and Heads of Delegations whose people share a common history of colonial conquest and though our struggles for liberation from the injustice and repression of slavery . and our subsequent journey to political independence may have taken different paths . as developing nations, our destinies are closely interwoven.
Today, we are gathered here in Montego Bay in a spirit of unity and collaboration to achieve the prosperity and regeneration earlier envisaged by this great soldier and political visionary.
Our meeting marks another milestone in our current initiatives to forge a unified approach to social and economic development in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). It will serve to strengthen our ties with the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and two of our close neighbours in the wider Caribbean Basin, Cuba and the Dominican Republic.
On behalf of the Government and people of Jamaica, I extend a warm welcome to the leaders of the Caribbean Community.their delegations and our special guests. I again welcome to our shores His Excellency Hugo Ch