





MINISTER of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator A J Nicholson says the main area of focus as he embarks on his new role will be to restore Jamaica to its ‘rightful place’ within the international arena.









"It is my respectful view that Jamaica’s place within the international arena is not where it should be. Our first duty is to impress upon all persons within the ministry, at home and abroad, that that breach has to be repaired," Nicholson said.









The newly appointed minister was speaking to JIS News following a meeting with members of staff at the ministry’s offices in New Kingston on Wednesday.









He said this mission will be among his top priorities as the new minister of foreign affairs and foreign trade, as it is important to set the stage for increased foreign investments. "If persons intend to invest in Jamaica, they are not going to do it unless our image within the international arena is accommodating," Senator Nicholson added.









He said, too, that he intends to place increased attention on Jamaica’s role as a leader in Caricom. "I believe, that one of the tasks that the minister of state and I face, is to ensure that the Caricom arrangement and experience be put on firm footing," he remarked.









He noted that "what has been happening in Caricom was not what was intended by the framers of the agreements for the Caribbean Community to be formed and established". Senator Nicholson noted that a number of public servants of the past have set the stage for younger leaders to follow. "Those who have gone before us, for example, prime ministers, P J Patterson and Michael Manley, have set a real torrid pace in placing Caricom on the road to where Jamaica'’s development and the Caribbean’s development ought to be," he said.

