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Basseterre, St. Kitts, January 20, 2016 (SKNIS): The Honourable Mark Brantley, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Aviation, has explained that the Government saw it fit to have dual representation for St. Kitts and Nevis in the United States in the persons of His Excellency Ambassador Dr. Everson Hull and Her Excellency Ambassador Dr. Thelma Phillip-Browne.

During the Government’s weekly radio and television programme “Working for You” on Wednesday, January 20, Minister Brantley stated that the Government thought on balance, that it was time to share the work.

“The reason for this is that ordinarily, that single ambassador has full duties to the United States which in and of itself is a herculean task to keep up with all that is happening in engagement with the United States and at the same time have engagements for the Organization of American States (OAS) and various Latin American countries,” said the foreign affairs minister.

He noted that the OAS consists of over 30 important countries and added that countries such as Brazil, Venezuela, Canada and the United States are represented at the OAS.

“For one person to have all of that responsibility, we thought for the first time, let us bifurcate (divide into two) the responsibilities,” said Minister Brantley. “Let us have Ambassador Hull dedicated to the OAS and Ambassador Phillip-Browne dedicated to the United States.”

Minister Brantley stated that the initiative was received by many of his fellow foreign ministers, who are now looking at the new model, as their people have complained about the difficulty in keeping up with all that is taking place.

In August 2015, His Excellency Ambassador Hull presented his credentials to the OAS Secretary General, Luis Almargo, during a brief ceremony at the OAS headquarters in Washington D.C. U.S.A. Equally important, as recent as this month, Kittitian-born Ken Clifton, Town Councillor District 1, Randolph, Massachusetts, U.S.A., congratulated Her Excellency Dr. Phillip Browne on her appointment as Ambassador of St. Kitts and Nevis to the United States and expressed confidence that her tenure will usher in a new approach for bilateral relations.