OECS Authority and OECS Assembly meetings held in Antigua

The 67th Meeting of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Authority and the Fourth Sitting of the OECS Assembly was being held in Antigua and Barbuda.

The official meeting began on Sunday evening, ended last night, at the Royalton Resort. The government leaders and top-level politicians from the OECS convened to address issues member states are facing at present.

During the meetings the Chairmanship of the OECS Assembly was handed over to Antigua and Barbuda from St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

While addressing during the occasion, Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Browne laid focus on two key issues: the establishment of the University of the West Indies (UWI) Five Islands Campus and the continuation of LIAT in the region.

Antigua and Barbuda PM said that LIAT is “irreplaceable” and “quintessential” to regional connectivity and transportation.

“LIAT has served us well. LIAT may be based in Antigua but its benefits are spread across the region,” he said.

“We are determined to keep Antigua and Barbuda on the top of the skies where it belongs and in which it has earned its place. It is a time that the OECS take collective ownership of the regional airline," he added.

Meanwhile, speaking at the event, OECS Director-General, Dr. Didacus Jules focused on the challenges which continue to face the sub-region.

“More than ever before, diplomacy matters and the outreach to non-traditional partners that we have started in the thrust to Africa, the strengthening of our diplomatic coordination in the entire European theatre and the heightening of our battles against economic dictation, arbitrary blacklisting, and de-risking will be intensified under PM Browne’s leadership,” Dr. Jules stated.

"Organization hopes to achieve advancing sub-regional trade and business within the OECS and the easing regional travel for citizens among other things by 2021," Jules noted.

“We pledge Mr. Chairman that, by 2021, the OECS will enable trade and business anywhere in the OECS to operate everywhere in the OECS and to enable every citizen of a Member State to travel freely and without hassle withy family for work, leisure or residence anywhere in the OECS; that we will be better able to adapt and recover quickly from adversity in climate and the environment, economic and social systems; that we will create avenues of fairness and impartiality, use our cultural richness and turn our language differences to advantage; use our international friendships to advance our development agenda; and that the OECS Commission will work smarter, reach further and deliver better,” he said.

Dr. Jules also spoke about some of the achievements under the leadership of Chairman Gonsalves, including “preparation of a suite of free movement bills that will ensure the provision of contingent rights, lay the basis for free circulation of goods and create mechanisms for short term benefits,” deepening of Intra-OECS Cooperation and enhancing of the institutions like the OECS Commission.