CHARLESTOWN, Nevis – NEVIS’ Premier and Minister of Nevis Affairs under the recently-elected Team Unity Government, the Hon. Vance Amory will soon be travelling to Dubai to pay a visit to the Federation’s Consulate in that Middle East city of the United Arab Emirates.
He made this disclosure while responding to a caller to the weekly ‘On the Mark’ radio programme, which he co-hosted last night (Mar. 11) with the Hon. Troy Liburd.
Premier Amory disclosed that in addition to visiting the Consulate, his main reason for travelling to Dubai with a team of investors from the Federation, on behest of the Prime Minister, is to promote St. Kitts and Nevis at a conference entitled “Citizenship By Investment of International Residents in the Middle East”.
He also disclosed that the conference is scheduled for Wednesday, March 18, 2015.
Amory stated that instructions were passed to the office of the Citizenship By Investment Unit to have the programme become more professional and efficient, adding that that would be part of the answers to question which would be raised by clients who are interested in promoting St. Kitts and Nevis.
He also stated that his presence at the conference to assure clients that the twin-island Federation is the marketplace for business.
“In respect to my own visit to Dubai, it is really more for the promotion of St. Kitts and Nevis and the Citizenship by Investment Programme to re-establish and reconfirm that St. Kitts and Nevis...that our programme is a credible programme. It is one of the best programmes in the world in respect of a second passport of Citizenship By Investment and is to really reconfirmed in the mind of those who are out there marketing and getting investors to come into St. Kitts and Nevis.”
Premier Amory however informed that he would have to be briefed by the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs on how to proceed on his visit to the Consulate.
He claimed not to know if the Consulate is currently open to the public but stated that he is certain the person in-charge would have been recalled or reassigned by the time of his arrival in Dubai.
“...Certainly, I don’t know if the Embassy will still be open...there may be junior staff! But I am sure that by the time I get there the Consular Officer in-charge would have been recalled or be reassigned. But any junior officers certainly will have to go visit there, unless as a citizen of the country and one coming to promote the Citizenship Programme, that Consulate is a very critical part of the process. And I would certainly be willing to visit and to have a word to see what is going on.”
The Dubai Consulate was established sometime in 2012 under the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party Government headed by the Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas.
A press release from CUOPM issued on December 6, 2012 had noted statements made by then Prime Minister Douglas who hosted a reception at the Consulate on December 1, 2012.
“This collaborative effort has really driven the investment in our country and, to a large extent, is responsible for the improvement in the quality of life of our people. We are here as the Consul General to serve our nationals and citizens of St. Kitts and Nevis who are not only here in the UAE, but who are situated globally and who would have access to this office, whether they are here are abroad and also to facilitate the visitors who may wish to come into our country in the future.
“Our intention is to help to promote our country, to be better able to serve you our nationals who are working or residing here as well as our citizens who are here and who may be globally located.”
Also at that reception, Dr. Douglas said the Consul General, Ms. Alex Woodley, came amply qualified as she had not only been in the foreign ministry for several years as Deputy Consul-General in New York Mission, but she is also qualified academically.
Premier Amory, also in his response to the caller, said: “The key to this on citizenship of St. Kitts and Nevis is that whoever we select to be our ambassadors must be worthy of that position and we must feel confident that they will act in a honourable way so that the name of St. Kitts and Nevis and the policies of foreign affairs and polices will be properly articulated, properly adhered to...”
