Basseterre, St. Kitts, April 09, 2019 (SKNIS): The 2019 edition of St. Kitts and Nevis’ Diplomatic Week officially kicked off with an opening ceremony on Tuesday, April 09, at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort. It is being celebrated under the theme: “Securing a Resilient Future through Strategic Diplomacy and Effective Dialogue”.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Honourable Mark Brantley, welcomed all to the auspicious occasion.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is pleased to welcome you our diplomats and consular officers, our development partners, and most of whom are present from a cadre of countries with whom we have established diplomatic relations,” said Minister Brantley. “Other specially invited guests of course, we welcome you to this week of activities. We hope that you will take advantage of the numerous opportunities for building new partnerships and strengthening areas where those partnerships currently exist.”
Minister Brantley encouraged members of the diplomatic and consular corps to use the week to their advantage.
“We hope that you will find this week of activities most rewarding as you commence your tour of duty with specific reference to St. Kitts and Nevis,” he said.
The Foreign Affairs Minister noted that since the last Diplomatic Week in 2016, much have been achieved.
“We have been busy labouring in the proverbial vineyard in pursuit of our goals. Since our last Diplomatic Week in March 2016, our records reflect that we have established diplomatic relations with 31 countries,” he said. “In most cases our embassies and our missions have played a vital role in assisting our government to fulfill its objective of increasing its diplomatic footprint as we engage our development partners on a daily basis.”
The Opening Ceremony was attended by His Excellency the Governor General Sir S.W. Tapley Seaton, members of parliament and Cabinet, permanent secretaries, heads of departments, other government officials, specially invited guests, and the media.
The 2019 edition of Diplomatic Week runs from Sunday, April 07, to Friday, April 12. “Securing a Resilient Future – St. Kitts and You!” and “Public Private Partnership to Secure Resilient Future”, are among topics expected to be discussed over the course of the week.
In addition, Nevisian-born Professor Dr. Jessica Byron-Reid, Director of the University of the West Indies Institute of International Relations at the St. Augustine Campus, Trinidad, is the guest lecturer at the inaugural Diplomatic Week Lecture to be held at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort Ball Room on Tuesday, April 09 , 2019, at 7:00 p.m.
