25 November, 2016 (London, England) – The High Commissioners of St. Kitts and Nevis and the Republic of Mauritius gathered at a ceremony at the St. Kitts and Nevis High Commission on Friday to cement diplomatic ties between the two countries.
Consistent with the policy of Government to deepen and enlarge its global diplomatic footprint, this marks the conclusion of a process which was given greater impetus at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Malta last year where both Prime Ministers Dr the Hon. Timothy Harris and Sir Anerood Jugnauth and their respective Foreign Ministers held bilateral talks. While St. Kitts and Nevis and Mauritius have long worked together at the multilateral level and in business, the two countries did not formally establish diplomatic relations prior to today.
High Commissioner Isaac used the opportunity to stress that as Small Island states, despite distance, the similarities and common interests give rise to hope for a more dynamic partnership. High Commissioner Isaac, in his remarks, referenced the presence of the YU Lounge in St. Kitts and Nevis as a tangible result of on-going relationships between the two countries. High Commissioner Isaac expressed hope for more such partnerships at the both the level of policy debates in multilateral forums and at the bilateral level as it relates to travel and investment.
In emphasizing the timeliness of formalising relations, the High Commissioner of Mauritius noted that “notwithstanding the fact that we are signing the Joint Communiqué on the establishment of Diplomatic Relations between our two countries only today, we note with a sense of satisfaction that our two countries have already been working together at the multilateral level through our common affiliation to international organisations such as the United Nations, the Commonwealth and the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS).”
Both High Commissioners pledged to build on existing modes of engagement and to redouble efforts to take advantage of every opportunity that a renewed partnership can provide.
