Basseterre, St. Kitts, April 08, 2019 (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)—The Zion Moravian Church was the venue for the Thanksgiving Service to mark the start of Diplomatic Week 2019 organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Aviation.
Attending the service were His Excellency Sir Tapley Seaton, Governor General, Prime Minister Dr the Honourable Timothy Harris, who read the New Testament Lesson from John 12:1-8, the Hon. Mark Brantley, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Aviation, other members of the Cabinet, staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, visiting and resident members of the diplomatic and consular corps and the cohort of St Kitts and Nevis representatives posted across the globe.
Minister Brantley highlighted the objective of the Week – to strengthen relations for national development and outlined key events and activities slated for the next few days. A cordial invitation is extended to the general public to participate in the Lecture, in particular, on Tuesday, 8th April at the Marriott Ballroom. Professor Dr Jessica Byron Reid, a native of the Federation is the Guest Lecturer and she is expected to present on the Week’s Theme “Securing a Resilient Future through Strategic Diplomacy and Effective Dialogue”.
Using the parable of the Good Samaritan, The Rev. Onita Samuel-Warner, associate Pastor asked, “Who is Your Neighbour?” This was indeed a relevant message, in light of the many in our society, and in fact, the world who are in need of our compassion and assistance. As a response to the question, Minister Brantley stated that the global community may be considered our neighbour, considering the deep relations we have established with a host of countries worldwide.
In addition to the resident diplomatic and consular corps and the Federation’s diplomats posted abroad, other participants in Diplomatic Week 2019 represent countries including Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bermuda, the Bahamas, Canada, Colombia, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Georgia, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Morocco, New Zealand, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Palestine, Poland, Romania, South Africa, South Korea, Switzerland, UK, USA, The Vatican and Vietnam. Representatives from the University of the West Indies (UWI), the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat, the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission and the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) will also participate.
Before concluding the service, the senior pastor, Rev. Hilton Joseph invoked God’s blessings on the Week and on the attendees.
The Ministry thanks the Pastorate and members of the Zion Moravian Church for their hospitality and best wishes for the Week ahead.
