NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (April 20, 2017) — Hon. Mark Brantley, Minister of Foreign Affairs in St. Kitts and Nevis and Deputy Premier of Nevis, says the Federation has been a friend to Sweden and it will continue to engage them bilaterally. 

 

He made the comment at the end of a courtesy call from Her Excellency Ms. Elisabeth Eklund, Sweden’s newly accredited Ambassador the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) including St. Kitts and Nevis, on April 20, 2017. He pointed to St. Kitts and Nevis’ support for Sweden in its bid for a non-permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council.

 

Mr. Brantley, said during the visit, they spoke of a water conference planned for Nevis which Sweden has been planning for some time. They also spoke of the availability of scholarship opportunities for young people to pursue studies in Sweden and the vexing issue of de-risking and blacklisting which the Caribbean, including St. Kitts and Nevis, is under constant threat from the European Union and others.

 

He explained that they also discussed St. Kitts and Nevis’ concerns with the United Kingdom’s pending departure from European Union with the advent of Brexit.

 

“We are also concerned that within the European Union, St. Kitts and Nevis would have lost an ally in terms of the United Kingdom, a voice if you will, to speak on our behalf on certain important matters, and so, I raised that as well to say, not just to Sweden but to the Nordic countries, that we wish them to be our allies in those forums, which of course, St. Kitts and Nevis are not members but which are important for us, such as the European Union,” he said.

 

Mr. Brantley said he was pleased with the discussions and that St. Kitts and Nevis looks forward to continuing its diplomatic outreach and bilateral relations with the Kingdom of Sweden.

 

The Ambassador was accompanied on her visit by Dr. Kathleen Allen-Ferdinand, resident Honorary Consul of Sweden to St. Kitts and Nevis.