BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, May 19, 2023 (SKNIS) – The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis, under
the leadership of Prime Minister the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew, has taken a calculated
approach towards strengthening the Federation’s voice on the international stage, all in the
interest of the further development of the country.
“We live on an island that currently depends on overseas suppliers – imports of all types of
fuel, all of our building materials etc. Needless to say we import much more than we export.
Therefore, it is also important for the Government representatives who have Ministries to
engage our outside partners so that our voices are heard, we are seen, and the interests of
our people of St. Kitts and Nevis are represented and considered,” Prime Minister Dr. Drew
said on Thursday, May 18, during his Press Conference with Cabinet Ministers.
Additionally, the Honourable Prime Minister said it is imperative for his administration to re-
establish relations with the internationally community that were fractured under the former
administration.
“For the last seven years before we came into service as elected by the people, we have
discovered that our relationships on the international scene would have been fractured in
multiple ways,” Dr. Drew said.
Prime Minister Drew noted that it is important for St. Kitts and Nevis to recalibrate its
policies through its legislative agenda to facilitate deeper trade relationships within the
Caribbean to ensure that citizens and residents benefit from the best available prices of the
things we are dependent on.
“We are part of the Caribbean Community but I have come to realize that many of us know
very little about it. That is why, following the World Bank and IMF Spring Meetings held in
Washington, DC, held in April, I met with Prime Minister Mottley of Barbados, and we have
agreed to strengthen relations between our two countries and I expect to be in a position to
make an announcement in this regard very shortly. The Republic of Suriname has vast
amounts of water and vast amounts of farming lands – yet we have no trade with Suriname –
a CARICOM member state that has offered land and water to our farmers. The Cooperative
Republic of Guyana is, and I quote: poised to become the world’s fourth-largest offshore oil
producer, placing it ahead of Qatar, the United States, Mexico and Norway, and Guyana is
also part of CARICOM,” the prime minister added.
Dr. Drew stated categorically that each time his Government engages the world and the
Caribbean region, there are tangible benefits for the people of St. Kitts and Nevis to gain.
“We have to re-establish our relationships to ensure that we have the right partnerships to
establish our Sustainable Island State. We cannot do it alone, but through partnerships we
can definitely achieve it,” said Prime Minister Dr. Drew.
DR. DREW-LED ADMINISTRATION DETERMINED TO REPAIR ST. KITTS AND NEVIS’RELATIONS ON THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PEOPLE
