A call for Member states to embrace the one-community vision as the 72nd OECS Authority meeting opens at the Montserrat Cultural Centre

The 72nd meeting of the OECS Authority got underway at the Montserrat Cultural Centre Wednesday morning with a call for Member States to embrace the vision that established the sub-regional grouping.

Addressing the opening ceremony, OECS Director General, Dr Didacus Jules, issued an impassioned plea for a united effort, inspite of the setbacks of the past two years.

He contends that in any environment where there is no sense of urgency and no exercise of strategic foresight, crisis will descend as a thief in the night.

In highlighting a biblical reference that where there is no vision the people perish, The OECS Director General said the 72nd meeting of the Authority provided an opportunity and an occasion to celebrate the vision that brought the islands together as one community.

Meantime, in welcoming the delegates to Montserrat, New OECS Authority Chairman, Montserrat’s Premier, Honourable Joseph Farrell, proffers the collective strength and joint resilience of member states to come together to deal with important matters amidst extraordinary disruptions.

Premier Farrell posits that a strength of the OECS Construct is a deep solidarity among heads and the strong sense of common purpose which originates from their shared history.

In His Maiden Address to the opening ceremony of the 72nd OECS Authority, Grenada’s prime minister Dr Dickon Mitchell underscored the “Spice Isle’s commitment to the integration process.

He however said that there are areas that have not been fully capitalized on to include the far-reaching benefits of OECS intra-regional trade in goods and services, development opportunities from intra-OECS investments, and ease of travel regionally.

St Kitts/Nevis’ Prime Minister Dr Terrence Drew, who was also making his maiden presentation to the opening ceremony of the 72nd OECS Authority, also elaborated on the strong bond shared by member states towards regional integration.

He says this is very evident on the economic, social or environmental developmental fronts against all odds.

And Premier of the British Virgin Islands Dr Natalio Wheatly also in his maiden speech to the opening ceremony of the OECS Authority, spoke to the solidarity shown by the sub-regional grouping when the islands faced its own personal challenge.

He conveyed that they are less than six months removed from the political crisis in the virgin islands…but has been able to maintain democratic representation