Premier Ewart Brown has discussed a range of issues with Barbados Prime Minister Owen Arthur in a bid to build links between the two islands.

At a meeting in Barbados on Friday, Mr. Arthur praised a number of Bermudian programmes, including the Tyne's Bay Incinerator, which he hopes to use as a model for a similar project in the future.

He also spoke positively about the way sections of the community in Bermuda dealt the devastation of Hurricane Fabian.

Dr. Brown is in the Caribbean to cheer on the Island's cricketers in their historic first appearance at the World Cup. He is also using the trip to hold meetings with key Caribbean figures such as Mr. Arthur.

"This meeting served to further talks we had in Bermuda, when the Prime Minister visited in November," said Dr. Brown.

"We are both committed to expand our relationship to include the sharing of information on the environment, education, transportation and Police training."

Dr. Brown told Barbadian journalists he was hopeful a country in the region would soon be able to produce nurses to help offset the loss of medical staff to North America.

After being given a tour of the Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic (SJPP), Dr. Brown told The Nation Newspaper: "Nursing is a very sensitive area. We are all scrambling for nurses, and I am hoping one country in the region will be able to train and produce the nurses we need as we cannot keep losing them to large countries such as North America."

He also stressed the need for training, stating that it had reached the point that investors had to show their training plans before any new ground could be broken for hotel developments.

"We need our youth to have a resurgence of interest in the hospitality sector as we expect three to five new hotels to be erected soon," he told the newspaper.

Dr. Brown met a number Bermudians studying at the SJPP.

"The highlight of this whirlwind trip was meeting with the 13 Bermudian students, some of whom are studying in the maritime and auto-tronics areas," he said.

"I urged them to obtain the highest certification available here in Barbados and then come home and find employment.

"I was following in the footsteps of former Education Minister Terry Lister and current Education Minister Randy Horton, both of whom have visited the institution."

He was also given a tour of the Regional Police Training School.

"We toured the entire facility and discussed the possibility of Bermudian recruits going there for their intensive six-month course," he said.

The Premier returned to Port of Spain, Trinidad, on Friday evening, and the following night met up with Bermuda's cricketers at a reception hosted by the High Commissioner of Trinidad and Tobago.