Industrial nations pledge aid to Caribbean region

A number of industrial countries have pledged at least $800 million in assistance over the next year for the depressed Caribbean region, officials from the area said.

The pledges, meant to offset critical balance-of-payments problems in the region, come from countries including the US, Canada, Britain, France, and Japan. The pledges include a portion of the Reagan administration's Caribbean Basin Initiative. The Reagan plan is under intense critical review in Congress, which must give it final approval.