Ministry of Foreign Affairs, St. Kitts and Nevis, September 22, 2016—His Excellency Eduardo Javier Bonilla Menchaca, Ambassador of the Republic of Chile based in Jamaica, and accredited to the Federation, handed over five (5) HP laptops for the Ministry’s use to Ms Kaye Bass, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The relations between the two countries have been friendly but continue to deepen with time. In 2014, St Kitts and Nevis signed a Visa Waiver Agreement permitting nationals of both countries to travel visa free to either country for up to 90 days.
Chile has been instrumental in building capacity of teachers of Spanish through its Training programme for Teachers of Spanish and diplomats through its Diplomatic Training Course. Other areas in which both countries have cooperated include Agriculture and Disaster Management.
Chile’s National Day is celebrated on September 18 and thus, its representative was unable to participate in St Kitts and Nevis’ Independence activities. Nonetheless, Ms Bass and the Chilean Ambassador exchanged belated best wishes for each other’s National Days.
During the visit, the Permanent Secretary was updated on matters of national interest to Chile. Ms Bass invited the Ambassador to arrange for a cultural group from Chile to participate in one of our annual festivals.
Permanent Secretary Bass expressed appreciation on behalf of the Honourable Minister Brantley, who is currently participating in the 71st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York and assured the Ambassador that the laptops will serve as useful tools in effecting the Ministry’s work.
In its Foreign Policy document adopted in 2014, the Government of St Kitts and Nevis, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs pledged to “increase cooperation and deepen ties with Latin America”. To this end, St Kitts and Nevis continues to participate in multilateral fora such as the Association of Caribbean States (ACS), the Organisation of American States (OAS) and the Community of Latin American States (CELAC) to engage with its Latin American counterparts.
