Georgetown, July 3 (Prensa Latina) Governor of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), William Warren, said that the region is going through one of its most difficult times due to the international economic crisis.

Quoted by the Caribbean News Now, Warren highlighted the dependency of tiny countries in the area on the world market.

However, he said that some nations like Belize, Suriname and Guyana maintain a sustained growth, partly due to their abundant natural resources.

The economies that depend more on services, mainly tourism and finances, are going through a very difficult moment, he said, as they are very much linked to large economies like Europe and the United States.

The more diversified the economies of our nations, the more resilient they will be and therefore the less vulnerable to the effects of the international crisis, he said.

He highlighted the example of Guyana, whose economy grew on average 4.5 percent annually in the past seven years.

This country is in a position to develop and diversify, and not only because of its rich natural resources, he considered.

Several Caribbean nations, including Jamaica, Barbados and Saint Lucia, are suffering serious economic problems which pushed up the unemployment and crime rates, prompting to cut numerous social programs.