By Tony Fraser Writing for BBC Caribbean from the Americas Summit

	Thompson: RNM will quietly expire in 'phased' approach

Barbadian leader David Thompson told reporters Saturday afternoon that: “New institutional facilities for negotiating trade arrangements for the region are necessary.”

The Barbados Prime Minister David Thompson told a news conference Saturday at the 5th Summit of the Americas in Port of Spain that Guyana, one of the RNM's most vociferous critics, was not to blame for the decision.

Mr Thompson quashed the view coming from reporters at the news conference that Guyana is behind the scheduled dismantling of the unit.

The RNM has been negotiating Caricom trade agreements over the last 10-15 years.

It has been run by a series of senior Caribbean diplomats from former Commonwealth Secretary-General Sir Shridath Ramphal who was succeeded by former Jamaican Ambassador to the US Richard Bernal.

The latter resigned the post recently with the job being taken over by Ambassador Henry Gill.

EPA

The RNM had provided the unified Caribbean voice for negotiations with the European Union for a new Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) which replaced preferential tarde access to European markets.

When Caribbean Community (Caricom) leaders were due to sign the EPA, it came under scrutiny and comment from other parts of the African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) grouping which were all being pressured by Europe to move to new regional EPA's.

As Caricom prepared to sign its EPA in 2008, the RNM negotiators had come under fire, particularly from Guyana's President Bharrat Jagdeo.

The Guyanese President claimed the CRNM exposed the region to being advantaged by the producers in Europe.

“It is unfair to blame Guyana,” Prime Minister Thompson told journalists on Saturday afternoon in Port of Spain at the Americas Summit venue.

“It is true that Guyana did have harsh things to say about the RNM and the structure of the RNM,” said Prime Minister Thompson.

“They were frank in their assessment and there were frank responses and we decided to facilitate an arrangement that would meet our objectives and would not be driven by personalities.”

The Barbados Prime Minister said that there will be a point where the RNM will be no more, but there will be a phased approach which would lead up to the Heads of Government meeting.”

There is not immediate indication of what will replace the RNM to negotiate jointly on behalf of Caricom territories which include 15 members from Belize in central America, through the Caribbean island chain, to Guyana in South America.