Premier and Minister of Finance Dr. the Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley is currently away from the Territory attending the 72^nd Meeting of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Authority in Montserrat from 19-20 October.  

According to Permanent Secretary in the Premier's Office, Mrs. Carolyn Stoutt Igwe, the Premier will deliver an address during the opening ceremony of the Authority Meeting, in line with the longstanding practice of the OECS Commission for newly appointed or elected Heads of Governments to address their colleague Heads of Governments and the Region at their first sitting of an OECS Authority Meeting. 

The Opening Ceremony of the 72nd Meeting of the OECS Authority will be LIVE from Montserrat on 19 October at 9:00 a.m. The YouTube link is here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pi6lmnAc1lk 

Premier departed the Territory on 18 October and will return on 20 October. Since Premier will not be absent from the Virgin Islands for more than forty-eight hours, no one will be authorised to perform the functions of the office of Premier, in accordance with  Section 55 (1) of the Virgin Islands Constitution Order, 2007.  

NOTE TO EDITORS: The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) is an international organisation dedicated to economic harmonisation and integration, protection of human and legal rights, and the encouragement of good governance among independent and non-independent countries in the Eastern Caribbean. The BVI is currently an Associate Member of the OECS.