OECS leaders seek high-level EU meeting to discuss CBI

ROSEAU (CMC):

Leaders of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) whose countries operate Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programmes are hoping to mount a “high-level mission” to Brussels later this month, Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said Wednesday.

The su-regional leaders announced plans for the mission in July after the European Union said it would move towards ending visa-free access for the affected Caribbean countries.

At a meeting that month, the leaders of Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and St Kitts and Nevis said they would undertake the mission “at the earliest appropriate opportunity” to engage directly with the president of the European Commission, the president of the European Council, and the high representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

“These engagements will seek to deepen mutual understanding of the unique vulnerabilities and development realities of small island developing states, to explore practical and mutually beneficial solutions to the issues identified by the European Union, and to strengthen the longstanding partnership between the European Union and the Eastern Caribbean.”

Speaking at a press conference, Skerrit said he would hold discussions on the matter with Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister, Gaston Browne, later on Tuesday.

“But the plan was to have a meeting towards the end of September and we are hoping that both sides can stick to keep looking at it, but we haven’t pinned down the date, precise date, yet,” Skerrit told reporters.

“But that was a discussion we had with the European Commission, the president of the Commission, on this matter,” he added.

Skerrit also thanked the European Union for its approach to the issue.

“I want to publicly thank the European Commission. They have been very respectful, I must say, and I believe that they understand and appreciate the importance of the CBI programme to our economies, so they are very clear on this.

“Obviously, they have certain concerns and we will continue to sit down with them towards addressing those concerns, but I think, so far it, has been a very, it is profoundly mutually respectful and the European Union is very understanding and appreciative of the importance of the programme to us, and so they have approached it from that perspective and we are very grateful to them for that,” Skerrit said.

Under CBI programmes, foreign investors are granted citizenship in return for making a substantial contribution to a country’s socio-economic development.

Following their July meeting, the leaders reaffirmed the “strong and enduring partnership between our countries and the European Union, founded on mutual respect, shared democratic values, and a common commitment to international cooperation and sustainable development”.

“We welcome continued dialogue with our European partners and remain committed to engaging constructively in addressing matters of mutual concern,” they said, noting that the establishment of the Eastern Caribbean Citizenship by Investment Regulatory Authority represents a major advance in regional governance and oversight.