Premier and Minister of Finance Dr. the Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley will be joining other Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) at the 44th Regular Meeting this week.

The Conference of Heads of Government meeting is being convened in Nassau, The Bahamas from February 15 to February 17. 

Premier Wheatley will be accompanied by his Special Envoy Mr. Benito Wheatley, and the Assistant Secretary of the International Affairs Secretariat, Ms. Dwynel Davis.

The heads of CARICOM will engage in strategic ongoing discussions on critical issues including regional food security, climate change and climate financing, and immigration and security. In addition, the heads of CARICOM will deliberate on the effective management of COVID-19 and other emergent public health concerns.

Deputy Premier, Honourable Kye M. Rymer has been appointed to act as Premier and Minister of Finance from February 14 until February 18.

Honourable Rymer’s appointment is in accordance with Section 55 (1) of the Virgin Islands Constitution Order, 2007 which states, “If the Premier is expected to be absent from the Virgin Islands for more than forty-eight hours, the Governor shall authorise the Deputy Premier to perform the functions of the office of Premier and the Governor shall revoke this authority on the return to the Virgin Islands of the Premier.” 

CARICOM is a block of countries and territories in the Caribbean region that include Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Anguilla, Bermuda British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Montserrat and the Turks & Caicos Islands. CARICOM is made of fifteen (15) states and five (5) Associated States. The VI is an Associate State.