BASSETERRE (22nd April, 2021): St. Kitts & Nevis is pleased to announce its inclusion on the itinerary of the Seabourn Odyssey, a ship in the ultra-luxury Seabourn cruise line, which resumes Caribbean sailings late July, 2021.
The 7-day itinerary includes Antigua, Barbados, the British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia and St. Maarten.
The Odyssey will be calling in St. Kitts every week and is our first scheduled port of call for the phased re-opening for cruise tourism, announced Lindsay F.P. Grant, Minister of Tourism, Transport and Ports today.
“We look forward to welcoming Seabourn Odyssey to St. Kitts. The benefits of the cruise industry have been vital to the economies of St. Kitts & Nevis and we are delighted to welcome our first vessel back, as we begin our phased approach to resume cruise tourim,” said Lindsay F.P. Grant, Minister of Tourism, Transport and Ports. “
It has been a long 13 months and the re-opening of cruise signals the continued rebuilding of tourism and our economy. We see our cruise industry returning with a fervor and we are working hard to ensure it happens safely, proficiently and promptly.
While not the official opening of the cruise sector, which is projected for October 2021, later this year, when St. Kitts and Nevis would have achieved herd immunity. The minimum protocols for any cruise ship, visiting in St. Kitts & Nevis include:
The Ministry of Tourism and St. Kitts Tourism Authority are currently working with all taxi/tour operators and attractions, to ensure compliance with the vaccination requirements, health and safety protocols for cruise to be Travel Approved.
“We continue to work with our stakeholders on the resumption of cruise, just as we did for the phased reopening for Stay Over on October 31st, 2020,” said Racquel Brown, CEO of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority. “Safety of our nationals, residents and visitor remains a top priority for us and we are working to ensure passengers can enjoy the exceptional and diverse attributes of the destination and can have a memorable shore experience while being confident in their safety.”
Seabourn is recognized as one of the world’s leading luxury cruise lines. Its boutique ships are known for their all-suite accommodations and their industry-leading service. Known for providing its guests with unique experiences, selecting St. Kitts as a destination on its itinerary reinforces the island’s position as an attractive destination that offers guests one-of-a-kind experiences.
St. Kitts & Nevis closed its borders on March 25, 2020 and reopened to international travel on October 31, 2020 with some of the most comprehensive travel requirements in the region. To-date, the Federation has reported only 44 confirmed cases of Covid, with no community spread and no deaths. As of today 11,848, people have been vaccinated.
In recent years St. Kitts has become a major cruise destination. The island’s attractions such as the UNESCO World Heritage recognized Brimstone Hill Fortress, the St. Kitts Scenic Railway, and Caribelle Batik where artisans maintain the ancient wax-dye method are unique experiences that continue to attract visitors.
]]>Bridgetown, Barbados, 14 April 2021 – As the region rallies to assist the thousands of people in St.
Vincent and the Grenadines displaced by the eruption of the La Soufriere Volcano, CIBC FirstCaribbean
has sent a shipment of much needed supplies to the island.
The shipment which was coordinated by the Barbados Coast Guard left the island on Thursday evening
aboard the Admiral Bay which was due to arrive in St. Vincent early Friday morning and will be
presented to the National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO).
The relief supplies which include over 40 pallets of food, water, cleaning supplies and sanitary items
were purchased by funds donated by the bank’s charitable arm the FirstCaribbean International
ComTrust Foundation.
The foundation’s Chair and the bank’s Chief Executive Officer Colette Delaney said the bank shared a
“deep concern for the wellbeing and safety of the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines as they are
confronted with the twin threats of an erupting volcano and the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic”.
She said the eruption in St. Vincent and the subsequent ash falls in Barbados and neighbouring islands
demonstrated how interconnected the islands of the region are. She also noted the sense of community
demonstrated within the Caribbean in times of disaster, which she observed was borne out in how
quickly the Caribbean reached out– within hours of the first eruption – with offers of aid to the people
of St. Vincent.
“It is a testament to the closeness and sense of family of our region. We’ve seen this in times of
disaster and need over and over again. It proves that despite our differences of opinion and sometimes
our squabbles, family always comes first. Our thoughts immediately go to the people of St. Vincent
and our prayer is that they will continue to be safe,” Ms. Delaney said.
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, April 14, 2021 (UNESCO) In co-sponsorship with the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis, UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme will convene a meeting of ministers from English-speaking Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to discuss the major challenges posed by water scarcity, contamination, and water-related disasters. The discussion will examine the role that science can play in constructively supporting decision-making and developing sustainable solutions to enable access to safe and reliable drinking water for citizens and agriculture, and increased resilience to natural disasters.
Many Caribbean countries are experiencing serious challenges to water security, including water scarcity and drought, pollution, watershed degradation, saline intrusion, and flooding. Climate change is worsening the severity of these challenges, and response capacities are aggravated by the impact of COVID-19 pandemic.
The meeting will explore how water resources management can be strengthened touching on key issues relevant to Caribbean SIDS such as water use efficiency, water contamination and pollution, water science and technology, resilience to water-related disasters, and water data and information, including groundwater. Science has a key role in this process, as well as indigenous and local knowledge, to support informed decision-making.
The meeting is intended to promote water security in Caribbean SIDS and build on regional and international agreements and goals, including the Barbados Declaration and Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States (SIDS); the Mauritius Declaration and the Mauritius Strategy for the Further Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States; the SAMOA Pathway; the UNESCO SIDS Action Plan and the Plan of Implementation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development; 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; and UNESCO-IHP’s upcoming Strategic Phase 9.
The meeting will take place online from Montevideo, Uruguay on April 27, 2021.
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, April 09, 2021 (SKNIS): The National Disaster Mitigation Council convened an emergency meeting on April 9 to mobilize support to assist persons affected by the eruption of the La Soufriere volcano in St. Vincent.
The meeting, which was held at the Antioch Baptist Church in Limekiln, was attended by Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris; Chair of the National Disaster Mitigation Council (NDMC) and Chair of the Ministerial Council for the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), Hon. Vincent Byron Jr.; Hon. Wendy Phipps, Co-Chair of NDMC; the Hon. Akilah Byron-Nisbett, Minister of Health; National Disaster Coordinator, Mr. Abdias Samuel (Chair of the Meeting); representatives from the Chamber of Industry and Commerce; NGO’s; Security Heads; and senior government officials.
La Soufriere volcano erupted on the morning of April 9, spewing its guts 8 km into the air, and covering a significant part of St. Vincent.
Minister Byron Jr. said that “despite months and months of preparation and planning on paper when it came to the actual implementation, there has been some difficulty.”
“We are here today not just to be informed about this but for St. Kitts and Nevis to galvanize ourselves in an effort to see in what ways we can support our neighbouring islands and St. Vincent and the Grenadines is a part of the OECS (Organization of Eastern Caribbean States), CARICOM (Caribbean Community), part of the CDEMA family of nations, and so we want to be in a position to lend any assistance we can give,” said Minister Byron Jr. “We know that the northern part of St. Vincent has had to be evacuated and the figures range between 16, 000 to 20, 000 persons that have to be moved.”
He said that some persons will be accommodated in St. Vincent, while others will have to be evacuated to neighbouring islands. He indicated that St. Kitts and Nevis is considering support, which can in logistics, financial support, skilled personnel, accepting displaced persons, or civil society contributions.
Prime Minister Harris, who said he had communicated with Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr. the Hon. Ralph Gonsalves, said that he was informed that 8000 persons were expected to find accommodation with family or friends, 12, 000 were to be evacuated to shelters, but that the country only had the capacity to cater for 5000 persons, and that 7000 will have to move to other islands within the OECS, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana. Additionally, he said that two cruise ships have agreed to help with the accommodation of persons for some time.
Dr. Harris said that the option remains of assisting St. Vincent with material resources and that the country had requested cots, blankets, and peripheral water tanks. He also said that plans were afoot to have the displaced persons tested for COVID-19 and inoculated.
“Cabinet is committed. Cabinet will be a good Samaritan on this particular effort. We want to be our brothers’ keeper and our sisters’ keeper too, but we have to do it in the most efficient way,” Prime Minister Harris said.
Elizabeth Riley, Executive Director of CDEMA, who gave an update on the situation on the ground in St. Vincent, began by expressing solidarity with the Government and people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines at this difficult time.
“I think the situation really reiterates the realities of the multi-hazard environment in which we all operate as members of the CDEMA system and in this particular case we have our complex incidences of COVID-19, which is affecting all of us, volcanic eruption, which this morning has transitioned to an explosive eruption and of course we have the upcoming hurricane season,” Ms. Riley said.
She added: “As you are aware, we have been notified by the seismic research centre this morning that approximately 20 minutes to 9 or so that La Soufriere volcano transitioned from an effusive type of eruption to an explosive one. We have been told that most persons have been evacuated from the red zone, which is the high-risk zone. The explosive eruption has posed some challenges with respect to visibility and in fact, hindered the pace of some of the evacuation efforts in-country.”
In the coming days, the National Disaster Mitigation Council with collaboration from the private and public sector will finalize concretely what assistance will be offered to the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, April 09, 2021 (SKNIS): Since the roll-out of its COVID-19 vaccination programme on February 22, less than two months ago, St. Kitts & Nevis has done better with its vaccination programme than many countries in the developed and developing world, continuing with its stellar management of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The country has only recorded a meagre 44 confirmed cases of the coronavirus with all cases recovered and no serious hospitalization of persons, although its JNF General Hospital in St. Kitts and Alexandra Hospital in Nevis, have been prepared with several ventilators, pharmaceuticals, and specialist healthcare workers even before there were one positive case. On top of that, the country’s astute management of the virus has not resulted in one death, a rarity globally.
While there are challenges in persuading citizens and residents in taking the jab, just like many countries around the world battling a ferocious misinformation and disinformation campaign, the country is doing well in vaccinating 10, 391 persons in just 47 days, reaching 31.45 percent of its target population of 33, 037 persons, who would make up the 70 percent required for herd immunity. The other 30 percent are under the age of 18 and not eligible to take the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab, which is the only vaccine being offered in the country through COVAX, a global initiative aimed at equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines led by UNICEF, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the World Health Organization, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, and others.
As of April 7, 2021, the Health Emergency Operations Center (HEOC) Situation Report stated that Antigua & Barbuda had only vaccinated with one dose 27.4 percent of its population; Barbados 22.2; Dominica 24.6; Grenada 9.2; Montserrat 30.8; Saint Lucia 12.1; and St. Vincent and the Grenadines 9.7 percent. Canada had only vaccinated 16 percent of its population with one dose, the USA 33 percent, and the United Kingdom 48 percent. However, it must be noted that their vaccination roll-out programmes began weeks ahead of St. Kitts & Nevis’.
The Ministry of Health has been hosting Vaccination Information Sessions to address citizens and residents genuine concerns with respect to taking the vaccination especially over concerns seen in the news, the fact that the vaccines are new, and that the world had not seen a pandemic in a century.
However, an important milestone was achieved when the Ministry of Health not only met its target of vaccinating 10, 000 persons by April 16 but even surpassed it by almost 400 persons.
St. Kitts and Nevis is on the road to economic recovery and as the country continues with its vaccination programme, which is crucial to that recovery, business leaders, church leaders, and public sector officials are encouraged to persuade those in their charge to take the jab.
Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris, in speaking to a gathering of business executives and senior-level government officials at a forum at the Royal St. Kitts Hotel on April 9, 2021, to discuss the socio-economic recovery of the country, said that the road to that recovery relies heavily on the successful roll-out of the vaccination programme.
“The vaccines are now here but it is relying upon you and me to make the right decision if we are to get the [pandemic] behind us and that in itself poses a challenge. It poses a challenge for the overall trajectory of the country because the actions of one individual or a few individuals could determine whether or not we recover fast or we recover slowly. That is why we need to have all hands on deck, all involved and that is why the philosophy that we developed of an all-of-society response, which has kept us safe with the best record among independent countries in the hemisphere, that philosophy must continue even now,” he said.
“It’s a long journey but every step is an important one that gets us to the goal of herd immunity – the 70 percent target that we have set for ourselves and we need to commend each other and encourage each other for doing good. Taking the vaccination is not just about individual and individual rights. Taking the vaccination is an act of selflessness, in my view, it is an act of patriotism because the very act can determine how far we go, how soon we will get there, whether 2000-plus people in the tourism industry will be able to get to work again depends on whether or not the taxi drivers, those in our restaurants, those in our schools get themselves vaccinated,” Prime Minister Harris added.
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, March 26th, 2021 (ZIZ News) The new EC$5 polymer banknotes are now available in St Kitts and Nevis.
According to its website, The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) has issued the new notes to CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank (Barbados) Ltd, Royal Bank of Canada, Republic Bank (EC) Limited and the St Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla National Bank.
The ECCB launched its family of polymer notes in May 2019 with the new $50 note which features former Governor of the ECCB, the late Honourable Sir K Dwight Venner. The $100, $20 and $10 were issued subsequently based on stock levels at the commercial banks in the ECCB member countries.
The EC polymer notes are made from a thin, flexible and transparent plastic film. The notes are cleaner as they are more resistant to dirt and moisture; more secure as they are more difficult to counterfeit because polymer allows for the inclusion of advanced security features.
The notes are also stronger because they are much more durable than paper and are difficult to tear.
The ECCB is reminding persons that The EC polymer and paper notes are circulating at the same time. Therefore, in conducting your business you may receive both the EC polymer and paper banknotes.
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NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (March 22, 2021) – – Hon. Premier Mark Brantley, Minister of Foreign Affairs for St. Kitts and Nevis, has made intervention to its ally the United States of America for the provision of COVID-19 vaccines for the federation and the rest of the Caribbean region.
“We in the Caribbean continue to make the passionate plea that vaccines be made available to us with some alacrity…
“We are aware from reports in the New York Times just yesterday that the great United States of America has made vaccines available to Mexico and Canada.
The Foreign Minister noted that St. Kitts and Nevis and the wider Caribbean region, including Latin America, have been experiencing some challenges accessing COVID-19 vaccines.
He urged the OAS General Secretary for assistance in this regard.
“The other issue of course has to do with the equality of vaccine access and that has proven problematic, because naturally some countries are in a better financial position than others, some countries are themselves producers of vaccines.
The OAS Secretary General said he too joins the call for equal access to and equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, February 25, 2021 (SKNIS): United States Ambassador to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean, and OECS, Her Excellency Linda Taglialatela, said that her government will continue to support St. Kitts and Nevis and the region in their fight against the deadly COVID-19 virus.
The latest support was the donation from USAID (United States Agency for International Development) of an ambulance to the Ministry of Health, and a passenger bus to St. Kitts and Nevis Red Cross Society (SKNRCS) that were handed over during a brief yet significant ceremony on Wednesday, February 24, 2021, at the Joseph Nathaniel France (JNF) General Hospital.
“We are committed to helping those in the Eastern Caribbean. Throughout the pandemic, the United States has worked with organizations like IFRC [International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies] and UNICEF [United Nations International Children’s Fund]… to provide much-needed pandemic response assistance to St. Kitts and Nevis and the region,” said Ambassador Taglialatela during her virtual presentation to officially hand over an ambulance and a passenger bus to St. Kitts and Nevis. “In this fight, the United States remains your committed partner. I am proud that our partnership stands as strong as ever. Strengthening collaboration with one another, together we will continue to meet this moment of challenge to our healthcare systems.”
Ambassador Taglialatela noted that the donation will aid St. Kitts and Nevis in bolstering its health system.
“We know that this donation will help you to continue your model management of COVID-19 for the benefit of the people of St. Kitts and Nevis. We are in this together and together we will rise to overcome the challenges presented by this pandemic,” she said. “The ambulance will be donated to JNF to support patient transport throughout St. Kitts and Nevis and the bus will be used by the National Red Cross Society to transport volunteers and staff to support raising community awareness about virus protection.”
Her Excellency Taglialatela commended the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis for its continued success in ensuring that citizens and residents remain safe during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
“I recognize the government’s substantial leadership in keeping the people of St. Kitts and Nevis safe during the pandemic,” said the ambassador. St. Kitts and Nevis continues to be one of the most successful countries in the Hemisphere in containing the spread of the disease. I know this has come at a great cost to the country’s economy and its people and we acknowledge the social and economic ramifications.”
She thanked healthcare professionals, civic leaders, manufacturing workers, civil servants, and all others in the Federation “who have worked tirelessly to respond to the COVID-19 Pandemic.”
]]>NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (February 12, 2021) — The Nevis Disaster Management Department (NDMD) recently received a donation of supplies valued at US$28,000 as humanitarian aid from its long-standing partners United States Southern Command (US SOUTHCOM) through the Minimal Cost Project (MPC) at the US Embassy in Barbados.
Mr. Brian Dyer, Director of the NDMD expressed gratitude on behalf of the department for the supplies.
“We want to say a special thank you from the bottom of our hearts to persons at the US Embassy especially Ms. Janice Linton [Military Liaison Officer] and her staff for facilitating the Nevis Disaster Management Department, the hierarchy of the US Southern Military Command who has graciously donated the funds to the Nevis Disaster Management Department.
“These supplies would be used to enhance the operational readiness at the Nevis Disaster Management Department and at the emergency shelters in the event that these shelters are activated,” he said.
The gift which was made up of supplies including foldable cots, cotton blankets, first aid kits, hygiene kits, non-medical masks, gloves and automatic hand sanitizer dispensers, marks the completion of a sustained collaborative effort amongst staff of the US Embassy, US SOUTHCOM and the NDMD.
The Minimal Cost Project is humanitarian in nature and is operated by the embassy in Barbados. The donation marks the completion of a sustained collaborative effort between staff at the US Embassy in Barbados, US SOUTHCOM and the NDMD.
The NDMD believes that the continued relationship with the American agencies commits them to continue working closely with each other towards the common goal of building resilience on Nevis.
In recent times, St. Kitts and Nevis, in particular the island of Nevis, has benefitted from several training programmes, equipment, grants and disaster supplies from the partnership.
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, January 26, 2021 (Ministry of Foreign Affairs): The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to inform the general public that owing to changes in Barbados’s general COVID-19 posture, the US Embassy in Bridgetown, Barbados, has canceled all non-immigrant visa appointments effective Thursday, January 28, 2021.
If any persons have an urgent matter and need to travel immediately, they are asked to please follow the guidance provided at https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-bb or call 246 623 9832 or 246 623 9833 to request an emergency appointment. The MRV fee remains valid until September 30, 2022, and may be used for a visa application in the country where it was purchased.
The Embassy will resume routine non-immigrant visa services as soon as possible but is unable to provide a specific date at this time. The general public is asked to monitor the Embassy’s website and social media for updates.
]]>(EMU) – St. Kitts, Wednesday, January 13, 2021:Officials from the Ministry of Education joined in a celebration of accomplishment with fifty (50) of its employees, to whom it rendered financial assistance as they advanced their studies in Education at the University of West Indies (UWI).
The UWI Recognition and Virtual Ceremony held 13th January at the Antioch Baptist Church acknowledged the challenging work of the successful graduates who worked tirelessly to accomplish their academic goals.
While addressing the gathering Minister of Education, Hon. Jonel Powell the importance of continued education.
Cue In: “Whenever nationals and citizens upgrade their qualifications… Cue Out: … further education of our nationals and the improvement in our human capital.”
The areas of study in the Master of Education program that teachers and educational officials enrolled in, are of priority within the nation’s Education sector as the government seeks to fulfill its commitments to improve education access and promote professional and personal growth.
Graduands who enrolled in the Master of Education Leadership course, were exposed to strategic leadership training skills which better prepared them to articulate the vision and prepare students to grapple with the changing demands of the 21st century. Enrollment in this course was timely and ideal as it aligns with theministry’s program on leadership and accountability as it aims to improve the leadership standards amongst its employees. Graduands of the Master of Education Language and Literacy Education program ensures that the ministry of education can improve the reading levels of students. This intervention is a direct response to the findings of an OECS assessment on reading levels within the region.
Additionally, the Ministry of Education will have strengthened the capacity of the teaching force to ensure the success of its Reading Recovery Intervention Program that is designed to help low achievers within the school systems, thereby increasing the quality of education for these children.
According to a Ministry official, the Master of Education School Counselling will improve the caliber of teachers who are interested in guidance and counselling. Graduates in this field are expected tobenefit the education sector as they will be able to support the designated school counsellors themselves. This can help to alleviate the issue of the limited number of counsellors in the schools.
These courses were offered collaboratively by the Teacher Education Division of CFBC and the UWI Cave Hill campus in Barbados.
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, January 13, 2021 (ZIZ News) CARICOM member countries including Saint Kitts and Nevis will be taking a unified approach towards international lending agencies as the region tries to recover from the impact of the covid-19 pandemic.
This, according to Prime Minister Dr Hon Timothy Harris who, in an interview with ZiZ news, gave an update on an Emergency meeting of CARICOM heads on Tuesday focusing on economic recovery and transformation.
Dr Harris said the heads heard a report put forward by Barbados prime minister The Honorable Mia Mottley on the findings of a committee that was tasked with determining the best way forward for the region.
He said several proposals were listed to be discussed with international lending agencies such as the World Bank that would assist the region’s recovery.
Among them was special treatment to debt incurred in responding to the pandemic.
He also spoke about revamping the vulnerability index which is used to assess Caribbean countries.
He said this would enable countries like St. Kitts Nevis to borrow funds for programmes to assist the people.
The prime minister said the next step is for the committee to meet with individual states to determine their precise needs.
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, December 22, 2020 (SKNIS): After a 38-year absence, a Law Library will be re-established in Basseterre, St. Kitts, following the dedication of the Annex at the Sir Lee L. Moore Judicial and Legal Complex.
The Annex is housed, in a newly constructed two-storey building on East Independence Square Street. It will feature a third Magistrate’s Chamber for District A, a Mediation Centre, and the aforementioned Law Library.
Attorney General and Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs, the Honourable Vincent Byron Jr. welcomed the new service, which was lost, during a fire on September 01, 1982. The fire destroyed the historic building, which housed the St. Kitts-Nevis Supreme Court and the Basseterre Public Library. The Law Library was a part of the Basseterre Public Library.
The attorney general highlighted the value of the Law Library while reporting on his ministry’s activities on December 21, 2020, during the Budget Debate. He said that the legal books, records, and documents would be open to legal practitioners, litigants, college and university students, and the general public.
“We have gotten over 364 books from IMPACT Justice from the assistance of Professor Velma Newton at Cave Hill, [UWI, Barbados] who has been able to source these books,” Honourable Byron Jr. stated, noting that they carry a $64,000 Canadian price tag. “Specialist law books on a wide range of matters have been selected and it now gives us the basis for solid support through our legal fraternity.”
The attorney general said the Law Library is “a major and exciting project” that the government was pleased to reintroduce for the benefit of the population.
The IMPACT Justice Project, which stands for Improved Access to Justice in the Caribbean, is a Canadian-funded justice sector reform project. It assists 13 CARICOM member states including St. Kitts and Nevis.
The Annex at the Sir Lee L. Moore Judicial and Legal Complex will be dedicated in the new year.
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BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, December 09, 2020 (Press Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister) – The Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis has reaffirmed its commitment to continuing its strong and mutual partnership that it currently shares with the Government and people of the Republic of Cuba.
This reassurance was given by Ambassador His Excellency Vance Amory, who represented St. Kitts and Nevis, on behalf of Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris, at the 7th CARICOM-Cuba Summit held via videoconference on Tuesday, December 08.
Ambassador Amory noted that, “St. Kitts and Nevis recognizes the importance of this ongoing cooperation and collaboration between Cuba and our CARICOM countries generally, and also the bilateral arrangement which has been part of the Cuba-St. Kitts and Nevis arrangement over the years. St. Kitts and Nevis truly values these relationships.”
Ambassador Amory was supported in Tuesday’s meeting by His Excellency Sydney Osborne, St. Kitts and Nevis’ Ambassador to CARICOM and His Excellency Ambassador Michael Powell, Special Envoy in the Office of the Prime Minister.
His Excellency Amory used the occasion of the summit to renew St. Kitts and Nevis’ call for an end to the decades-old economic embargo placed on Cuba by the United States of America.
“We support [Cuba’s] efforts to be part of the international marketplace without the discrimination which the U.S. embargo has placed on them. St. Kitts and Nevis will always support Cuba and will always call for the removal of those unfair measures which impose pressures not on just the people of Cuba but of the region, because if one part of the region suffers then the whole region suffers,” the ambassador added.
Additionally, Ambassador Amory expressed appreciation on behalf of the people of St. Kitts and Nevis to the Government of Cuba for its continued assistance in development of the Federation, particularly in the area of health and healthcare delivery.
He noted that this assistance by the Cuban government has “enabled us to improve the provision of healthcare in St. Kitts and Nevis.”
The 7th CARICOM-Cuba Summit was held in commemoration of the 48th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between the four CARICOM independent States and Cuba and the 18th anniversary of CARICOM-Cuba Day.
On December 08, 1972, Cuba established diplomatic relations with the four newly independent CARICOM Member States, namely: Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. CARICOM-Cuba Day was officially established in 2002 to celebrate the ties that continue to exist between Cuba and the Caribbean Community.
]]>BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, December 01, 2020 (Press Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister) – Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris, extended words of congratulations to the Prime Minister of Barbados, the Honourable Mia Mottley, in recognition of that country’s 54th anniversary of Independence celebrated on Monday, November 30, 2020.
Barbados became an independent nation on November 30, 1966.
In a letter to Prime Minister Mottley, the St. Kitts and Nevis prime minister said, “Independence anniversaries are such fulfilling moments, as they provide an opportunity to reflect on all of the pivotal moments in the history of our islands that would have worked together to propel us to where we are now. They remind us of the hard work and sacrifices made by our ancestors who tirelessly fought for the freedoms and privileges that we enjoy today.”
Prime Minister Harris further noted that commemorating these anniversaries also proves that regardless of the size or status of our islands, “we are capable of achieving great things when we work together. Thus, it is my hope that we grow in the recognition that our shared histories and cultures bring us closer together as a region and affirm for us why we should continue to strive towards a more integrated and synergistic Caribbean Community.”
The prime minister ended his letter by saying, “I am hopeful that this 54th year continues to bring out the best in the people of Barbados and I hope, and I pray for the health and safety of your people and your borders.”
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