Richard Gibson Sr. gave the keynote address at the “New Perspectives of the Caribbean Seminar” in Sonesta Maho Beach Resort on Wednesday. (Robert Luckock photo)
MAHO–Richard Gibson Sr. in his keynote address in Sonesta Maho Beach Resort on Wednesday said it is vital to stay abreast of international developments by engaging in international cooperation “to not get left behind.”
Speaking at the two-day “New Perspectives of the Caribbean Seminar – Island Ecology and Economy” hosted by the Caribbean-China People Foundation, he said:
“Ideas, information and technology become available and will make it unnecessary for us to re-invent the wheel. Cooperation between domestic and international groups will result in explosions of a wealth of information, support and know-how, give access to latest technology and best practices as well as developments internationally for us to wait and decide what path we want to follow to attain our goals. It also opens avenues to access finance for projects.”
Gibson said a perfect example of international cooperation is the one China has currently with St. Maarten and he is “deeply impressed” with the continued efforts the Caribbean China People Foundation and its sister foundation have been making for St. Maarten.
“It’s exactly the kind of international cooperation that is needed. We cannot do it on our own. We lack skills, so, yes, we need skilled Chinese resources to help and build our economy. It can be Americans or Italians, but I only see the Chinese here. I don’t see anyone else.”
Jointly hosted by Promotion Association of Global Youth Innovative Leaders Community PILC and Beijing International Exchange Association Sustainable Development Committee (BJ-SDC) it was no coincidence the event was held in Sonesta Maho Resort. The hotel is a source of pride for the Chinese, the property having been entirely renovated and remodelled by Chinese workers using revolutionary construction materials.
Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT) Stuart Johnson, Finance Minister Perry Geerlings and Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports Wycliffe Smith were present for the early part of the seminar.
Johnson said in his welcoming remarks that the seminar’s concept fits perfectly with the St. Maarten government’s 2018-2022 programme for building a sustainable St. Maarten.
“The future of St. Maarten rests on restoring social norms, health care, cost-effective and environmental energy, and waste solutions,” he stated. “Since Irma we have seen the value of international relationships with key strategic partners.
“I must commend China for its continued relationship which has increased over the past 15 years. Since 1999 it has set out to assist developing countries. With that in mind, the Caribbean is expected to grow three times as fast as other developing economies over the next 10 years.”
Opening remarks were also given by Beijing International Exchange Association Chairman Liu Wei, PILC Executive Chairman Zhu Lei, and China-Caribbean People Foundation Executive Chair Cengiz Kucuk.
The year 2019 marks the fourth time the Beijing International Exchange Association has been at this event in St. Maarten. Wei recalled how funds were raised to provide emergency housing containers for St. Maarten after the hurricanes of 2017.
Lei noted he was “very touched” to see how Sonesta Maho Beach Resort had been reborn again after the disaster of 2017. He said the 2018 Entrepreneur Competition in China had attracted 2,278 universities, 50 countries, and 2.65 million participants.
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Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/88483-gibson-stay-abreast-of-international-developments-to-not-get-left-behind
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