By: Caribbean World News Friday March 05,

Leaders of the CARICOM group of countries are set to meet with the President of the World Bank from March 11th to 12th.

The meeting is set for Dominica and CARICOM Secretary-General, Edwin Carrington, said earlier this week that he is expectant that discussions between CARICOM heads of government and World Bank President Robert B. Zoellick would `result in the identification of new and viable approaches to the treatment of some of the major challenges facing our region.`

Carrington said that the financing of mitigation and adaptation measures with regard to climate change was one such challenge the Community would highlight. But, perhaps the most pressing issue, was the `crippling debt burden` of those member states which were accorded middle income status and due to their graduation, did not qualify for concessionary debt reduction.

`This is one form of graduation that we do not embrace and have no role in its determinations. We are in a category of those who bear their fair share of the burdens without c

ontributing equally to the cause,` the secretary-general said. He stated that these were reasons why the Region must seek to have a voice in the major new structures influencing global decision-making such as the Group of 20 (G20) and the Davos Forum.

In this regard, the Secretary-General noted that the Community could only succeed through `determined united regional action.`

Representatives of the World Bank met with CARICOM Finance Ministers in Trinidad and Tobago on Monday as part of the preparations for the discussions which will take place between CARICOM Heads of Government and the President of the World Bank at the Twenty-First Inter-Sessional Meeting in Dominica.