Foreign Minister Miguel Vargas traveled to Antigua for the formal opening of the Dominican Embassy in St. John’s. During the event, the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne, ratified the will of their governments to continue consolidating bilateral ties.
In Antigua, Vargas signed an air services agreement and a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Risk Management and Disasters at the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Relations in that nation’s capital. The MOU was signed to address the frequent natural disasters in the Caribbean. Trade, Commerce, Industry, Sports, Culture and National Festivals Minister E.P. Chet Greene signed for Antigua and Barbuda. The parties favored increased trade and cooperation in areas that positively impact both countries.
“For the Dominican Republic, the strengthening of relations with the countries of the region is very important,” said Vargas, who pointed out that between 10 and 15% of the population of Antigua is of Dominican origin.
Among other issues, Vargas also raised interest in the former airline LIAT resuming flights to Dominican territory.
In addition, he thanked Prime Minister Browne for donating the land where the definitive headquarters of the Dominican Embassy in St. John’s will be built. The embassy is located at Jasmine Court on Friars Hill Road. The Dominican ambassador to Antigua and Barbuda is Raquel Jacobo.
During the event, Greene said: “The opening of the embassy is a step forward for Antigua and Barbuda and the Dominican Republic who share ties of geography and history, noting that today a significant number of Dominican Republic nationals reside in Antigua and Barbuda.”
He further noted that, since the 1920s, Antiguans migrated to the DR to work in the sugar plantations and many have remained there.”
Greene disclosed that his grandfather was one of those who journeyed to the DR and today he has discovered members of his family living in the Spanish-speaking country.
Greene also mentioned that Antigua and Barbuda would have interest in the DR’s well-developed institute to train diplomats which he learned of on his visit in May. This, he said, would help “to produce a cadre of young, trained diplomats to man the diplomatic services.”
The air services and MOU signed are in addition to three other instruments signed on 27 May when Greene visited Santo Domingo.
Read more:
Antigua and Barbuda Observer
El Caribe
8 July 2019