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Basseterre, St. Kitts, March 01, 2018 (SKNIS): St. Kitts and Nevis’ Minister of Foreign Affairs, Honourable Mark Brantley, has reported that St. Kitts and Nevis is making great strides in the international community as a nation that is exemplary in good governance and that its bilateral relations with other countries are mutually beneficial and growing.

 

The Foreign Minister made these comments at the second in a series of town hall meetings dubbed “People’s Forum” at the Joshua Obadiah Williams Primary School in Molineux on February 27.  

 

“The international community now recognizes that in Basseterre they have a serious government, a government that they can trust, a reliable international partner, not a partner that will jeopardize their countries,” he said.

 

“We have expanded the diplomatic footprint of St. Kitts and Nevis to the point where we have been able to fashion diplomatic relations now with another 22 countries with more to come,” Minister Brantley stated.

 

These include countries such as Cyprus, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Croatia, the Republic of Kenya, the Republic of Maldives, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Mauritius, and Brunei Darussalam.

 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and diplomats based overseas have also been working assiduously to enhance the value of the St. Kitts and Nevis passport. Minister Brantley explained that the success of this effort is evident in the increasing number of countries that grant visa waiver entry to nationals.

 

“We have added 13 new countries, including major countries such as Russia, Brazil, Indonesia and some African countries such as Kenya,” Honourable Brantley emphasized. He added that the growing list of countries granting visa waiver entry to passport holders from St. Kitts and Nevis is reflective of the trust and confidence that foreign governments place in the local government.

 

Minister Brantley addressed the concerns of some persons who do not appreciate the value of having the ability to travel to a country like Russia, which is almost 7,000 miles away from St. Kitts and Nevis.

 

“You may not want to go but your children may want to go. The truth is that if you want to go you should be able to go without letter or hindrance and it is our job to ensure that if people of St. Kitts and Nevis [want to they] … ought to be able to travel freely,” Minister Brantley said.