Snubbed

United States Virgin Islands (USVI) Governor John de Jongh on October 18th said Caribbean governments had not accepted his offer to back down on their plans to take their ongoing rum dispute before the World Trade Organization (WTO). In March, de Jongh had written to regional leaders urging them to avoid the WTO, claiming that this could lead to a prolonged legal case that could also be divisive and difficult to win.“I think if you are going to oppose a US programme and oppose it at the WTO or oppose it at the US Trade Representative Office…it makes sense to at least first talk with me and to hear my opinion,” he told a news conference here.“No Caribbean prime minister, no Caribbean ambassador has reached out and spoken to me, even after I made the call,” he said, adding “I reached my hand out to all of them saying I would like to have a dialogue with you before you decide …to take any action.“Other than the response I got from the chair, I have not had any dialogue with any of them. I have outreached to certain Caribbean leaders…other than that no one has spoken to me,” he said.

Courtesy: www.cananewsonline.com