He also issued a strong plea for greater support for culture and artists in the region.

Honorable Derek Walcott was speaking at the opening of a symposium entitled Caribbean culture at the crossroads past present and future.

The event was the first of a series of symposia on various aspects of Caribbean life which will be held in during the Caribbean Festival of Arts now taking place in Guyana.

Mr Walcott warned that something serious would happen if some Caribbean countries continued along the paths they were now on.

In a brief but spirited exchange with Mr Walcott on this issue Guyana's President Bharrat Jagdeo acknowledged that the promotion of culture does have a positive impact on the economic development.

However he said Caribbean politicians often have to face the harsh reality of what people prefer their scarce resources to be spent on and most often the preference is for a new road before a new theater.

The exchange was were preceded by a panel presentation on the same topic by some of the more well known literary figures in the Caribbean.