CaribWorldNews, NEW YORK, NY, Weds. Mar. 26, 2008: Louisiana, still working its way back from the devastating hurricane on New Orleans in 2005, is also eyeing possible cultural and economic linkages with the Caribbean.

Louisiana Lieutenant Governor, Mitch Landrieu, yesterday told CWN that he`s hopeful that ambassadors from the region, who attended the state`s last World Cultural Economic Forum, will advise him of possible linkages with parishes there.

Given the state`s historical links to the Caribbean, Landrieu insisted it will be `easy` to establish relationships that can lead to economic gain on both sides and rekindle cultural associations.

At last year`s WCEF, ambassadors of Grenada and Haiti were both present. 

Landrieu was in New York yesterday to announce the 2008 WCEF and discuss moves by the state to promote its dynamic culture, especially in New Orleans, as an economic earner for the state. The WCEF was launched last year and is designed to build infrastructure, markets and opportunities for the state`s culture and artistic stakeholders, around the world. Louisiana is known for its incredible cultural traditions, including Mardi Gras as well as for its famous jazz musicians and cuisine.

As Louisiana continues to beat a path back to normalcy, the state`s lieutenant governor is hoping that the Louisiana Cultural Economy Initiative, which is designed to develop events that will attract the industries serving arts and culture to Louisiana, will also help boost and support the small creative, cultural and eco-cultural industries across the state and promote new technologies to support the arts and culture.

The Louisiana official was joined at the Lincoln Center event by Emmy award-winning actress and native of Louisiana, Patricia Clarkson, pianist Jonathan Batise and Dateline NBC correspondent, Hoda Kotb. Caribbean nationals at the event included Jamaica`s new consul general to New York, Genieve Brown-Metzer and Jean Alexander of the West Indian Carnival Association and the Caribbean Cultural Center of NY.  – CaribWorldNews.com