Dionne Rose, Business Reporter

Ambassador Richard Bernal, lead trade negotiator for CARICOM, departs that job June 30 to take up a new posting in Washington. - File

Richard Bernal, the Caribbean Community's (CARICOM) lead trade negotiator, is promoting his deputy, Trinidadian Henry Gill, as his successor as head of the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (CRNM) in July.

"I have recommended that he replaces me," Bernal, a Jamaican, who served in the top post for seven years, told the Financial Gleaner.

"He has been a deputy for nearly seven years," Bernal said. "Quite frankly, he is the person."

Bernal officially steps down as director of the CRNM at the end of next month to take up the job as alternate executive director for the Caribbean at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in Washington.

CARICOM leaders are expected to name his successor at the summit in Antigua and Barbuda in July and Gill, especially in the face of Bernal's strong public endorsement, appears to be overwhelming favourite.

Gill, having joined the CRNM, is now the senior director. He previously worked at the Caracas-based secretariat Latin American Economic System (SELA) as well at the Institute of International Relations in Trinidad and Tobago.

Established in 1997, the CRNM develops, co-ordinates and executes trade negotiating strategy on behalf of CARICOM, and, as in the case of the recently concluded Regional Economic Partnership Agreement (REPA), the Dominican Republic. It also embraces Cuba for some negotiations.

dionne.rose@gleanerjm.com