PM Mitchell to be honoured in NY

by Nelson King

NEW YORK, Nov 16, CMC - Grenada’s Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell and his Trinidadian counterpart Patrick Manning will this Sunday be saluted and honored, respectively, at an elaborate 60th birthday celebration for Mitchell in New York. Grenadian organisers of the event, which will be held at Astoria World Manor in Astoria, Queens, said it is fitting to salute and honor both leaders for their respective contributions to Grenada. "We particularly wish to congratulate the Prime Minister (Mitchell) on the level of political stability he has been able to maintain as well as the popular support he continues to receive from the majority of Grenadians at home and aboard," the Planning Committee said in a statement. "Congratulations, too, for the rapid rate at which the country’s economic recovery is taking place and the level of infrastructural development realised to date following the havoc caused by two of the worst hurricanes to hit our country," it added. On Manning, the committee said the Trinidad and Tobago prime minister, a "long-standing friend and regional counterpart" of Mitchell, was the first regional leader to call the Grenada leader and visit the island in the immediate aftermath of the destruction by Hurricane Ivan, noting that this visit was "one of the most important morale boosters" for Mitchell. "The government of Trinidad and Tobago, under the distinguished leadership of Prime Minister Manning did not hesitate to voluntarily provide unconditional assistance to the ‘Spice Isle’ at some of the most critical and challenging times Grenada has ever experienced," it said. The committee said Trinidad and Tobago provided to Grenada over US$30 million in grant, channeled through the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Petroleum Fund, which were used for budgetary support and reconstruction efforts. Port-of-Spain also furnished a soft loan to the Keith Mitchell administration to the tune of US$16.5 million, which aided housing and business re-activation, the committee said. A host of dignitaries, investors, nationals and friends of Grenada and Trinidad & Tobago have been invited to attend the gala birthday event. Among them are US Senator Hillary Clinton, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Harlem Congressman Charles Rangel, and New Jersey Congressman Donald Payne (D-NJ). Invitations have also been extended to renowned actors Danny Glover, Morgan Freeman, and Harry Belafonte.