Caricom Secretary General Edwin Carrington. - File

Caribbean and Central American leaders will explore a possible trade agreement during talks next month in Belize, the 15-member Caricom bloc said Wednesday.

Heads of state from the two regions, which announced their intention to negotiate a trade deal last month, will hold talks May 12, said Caricom spokesman Colin Granderson.

The countries' foreign ministers will meet a day earlier.

The trade blocs had agreed to conclude negotiations within six months, but Caricom Secre-tary General Edwin Carrington said recently that deadline probably would not be met because Caribbean negotiators are occupied by discussions with the European Union.

Caricom has said it also plans to seek a trade agreement with the United States, which has already implemented a deal with Central America and the Dominican Republic.

The Caribbean and Central America currently trade in products such as vegetables and beef.

- AP