The Virgin Islands will be hosting the 36^th OECS/Pooled Procurement Service (PPS) Policy Board Meeting and Ninth OECS Council of Health Ministers next week.

Her Excellency Marcella Liburd, Governor General of the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis

His Excellency Dr. Didacus Jules, Director General of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States

The Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew, Prime Minister of the Federation of Saints Kitts and Nevis and Incoming Chairman of the Organisaton of Eastern Caribbean States,

Fellow OECS Authority Heads of Government and Ministers Present

The Honourable Dame Janice M. Pereira, DBE, LLD, Chief Justice of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court

Members of the Cabinet of the Federation of Saint of Saint Kits and Nevis

The Honourable Lanein Blanchette, Speaker of the National Assembly of the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis

Honourable Members of the National Assembly of the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis

OECS Commissioners

Ladies and gentleman

A pleasant good afternoon.

Premier and Minister of Finance Honourable Dr. Natalio Wheatley will be attending the 73rd Meeting of the OECS Authority in St. Kitts from June 18 to 19, and the 53rd CDB Annual Heads of Government Meeting in St. Lucia from June 20 to 21.

Good morning to the people of the Virgin Islands and members of the media.

Madame Speaker, on 18^th March 2022, the OECS Assembly, during its sixth sitting, approved the establishment of a Regional Conservation Caucus in the Eastern Caribbean, which will be commonly known as the Conservation Caucus.  The Conservation Caucus is intended to be a vehicle for advocacy, engagement, and action on international commitments and agreements and will hence:

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.  

Premier and Minister of Finance Dr. the Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley has affirmed that the Territory’s relationship with the Caribbean “is as strong as it has ever been”.

Minister for Education, Culture and Youth Affairs, Honourable Sharie B. DeCastro and other Ministers of Education in the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) have endorsed a new Education Sector Strategy for the period 2022-2026.

On Thursday, 14^th October 2021 at 10.00 a.m., the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) hosted a media briefing and joint virtual launch of its E-Litigation Portal for the Member States of the Commonwealth of Dominica and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.  

The British Virgin Islands’ response to COVID-19 has been presented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as a model for the Eastern Caribbean.