WASHINGTON (CMC):

A senior Caribbean Community (CARICOM) diplomat here has called on United States legislators and the Bush administration to speedily ease the new passport rules, stating that they would significantly impact on the economies of the region.

Dr. Dennis Antoine, Grenada's ambassador to the United States and dean of the CARICOM diplomatic corps in Washington, told the Caribbean Media Corporation yesterday that the Caribbean stands to suffer "immensely" if the U.S. remains unsympathetic to the region's cause.

"We're looking for accommodation," he said. "We hope the United States would speed up changes to the passport rule and make it easier for our respective economies. We hope the impact would be softened by new accommodations.

"We're looking for sensitivity and accommodation so that there will not be serious impact on the region."

Antoine said CARICOM diplomats last week expressed their deep concern in a meeting with top U.S. State Department officials, which included Brian Nicholls, director of Caribbean Affairs.

He said the officials, while expressing understanding of the region's plight, seemingly indicated that "it's a law they're abiding with."

The new U.S. passport rule has riveted regional governments, officials and administrators to such extent that a top-level CARICOM team, including some heads of government, plans to visit Washington this month to personally plead the significant case.

Last month, the Bahamas Prime Minister Perry Christie called for a united approach in getting the U.S. to extend the new passport rules.

But while Washington has deferred the passport requirement for Americans re-entering the country by land and sea to June 2009, from January 2007, the air travel deadline of January 8, 2007, remains intact.