St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves (centre) with Barbados Prime Minister Owen Arthur (left) and Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer at the 25th Caribbean Community summit.

ST GEORGE’S – Caribbean leaders have promised to speed up planning for the 2007 Cricket World Cup after eight Caribbean countries were chosen to host matches.

Speaking yesterday at an annual CARICOM Summit, Grenada’s Prime Minister Keith Mitchell said governments must especially focus on improving air travel since several Caribbean leaders had to travel an entire day to reach the summit in Grenada.

There are few direct flights between islands in the Caribbean.

Caribbean officials are discussing using charter flights, ferries and cruise ships to transport players, tourists and journalists during the tournament.

Officials are also considering asking United States and British airlines to increase flights in the region during the tournament.

Compliments of the Nation News

MANY economic spinoffs could be rived from a successful hosting of Cricket World Cup 2007 in the view of Chairman of the Caricom Community, Dr. Keith Mitchell, who is also Chairman of Caricom Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee.

Dr. Mitchell expressed the view while delivering the feature address at the Award of Matches Ceremony yesterday evening in the St. Andrew Room, Ritz Carlton, Montego Bay, Jamaica.

Dr. Mitchell also had much praise for all those persons who worked diligently to bring the preparations to the stage at which it now stands.

Dr. Mitchell said that it was a great honour for him to share in the historic occasion with members of the International Cricket Council (ICC), the World Cup Committee, West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) the Venue Assessment Team and cricket lovers of the entire Caribbean who listened or watched the activities which took place in Jamaica.

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