Charlestown Nevis (February 23, 2007)
Premier of Nevis, the Hon. Joseph Parry on Wednesday afternoon, February 21st hosted persons who were accredited to St. Kitts and Nevis from over 25 countries across the globe. The diplomatic corp comprised high commissioners, honorary consuls, heads of embassies and missions, all of whom came together for the inaugural Diplomatic week.
The Premier who is also Minister of Nevis Tourism welcomed the delegates with true Nevisian hospitality and shared some historical notes as he hosted them to a luncheon at the Nisbett at the Nisbetts Plantation Beach Club.
“Your Excellencies, it is my delightful pleasure to welcome you to Nevis, Nevis is called the Queen of the Caribes and for very good reasons as you’d appreciate.
“We have brought you here to this hotel which is associated with Lord Nelson, the former British Admiral who was involved in many wars with the French and American War of Independence. He was married to a lady called Fanny Nisbett, who is associated with the Nisbett Plantation Inn, and so we have very fond memories of the Europeans, of the Americans and of course Nevisians.This hotel has a very good reputation for its great cuisine, and we anticipate that you will enjoy and savor foods of Nevis. I do hope that after this lunch you will tour the island and that you will be so enthused and delighted that you will want to return next year. You must not only come back, but you bring many people from all over Latin America, from Chile, from Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, and of course from Cuba from other parts of the Caribbean. Our friends from the East Caribbean are here and I hope a Jamaican is here and a Trinidadian, and if not we will tell them that we want all of them to come and enjoy the delights of Nevis and St. Kitts and Nevis”, he said.
Also attending the luncheon were members of the Nevis Island Administration, Government Advisors, Permanent Secretaries and a number of Senior Civil Servants.
The idea for Diplomatic week and bringing it to fruition was borne by Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade, Industry and Commerce, Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris of the Federal Cabinet.
Some of the objectives of the week were the role of foreign policy and diplomacy in advancing national development. To improve dialogue with the various embassies and consulates accredited to the Federation, and to sensitize local and foreign representatives on the national development agenda. The week also sought to heighten awareness and increase understanding of national positions on current international issues and to forge alliances on these issues and to formulate and chart a clear course of action to move forward towards more development.
Prior to the luncheon, the Department of Information interviewed Ambassador Plenipotentiary for St. Kitts and Nevis, Her Excellency Rosalyn Hazelle, who said that partnerships were established and the event had surpassed its objectives.
“I think we have surpassed our objectives, the response was wonderful, the dialogue and suggestions in terms of ways forward, what are some of the things we can do better and develop further, partnerships came out of that meeting. it was generally well- received, we had 25 or so countries who are represented -, Algiers, Algeria, Italy, Chile, Spain, but we have quite a good mix of persons who were here.
This was the first, what we will do following this is an evaluation. We’ve asked persons to complete an evaluation form which consist of various questions about the topics that we’ve discussed, the various activities that we’ve had, and for suggestions. What we’ll do now is compile the evaluation forms, look at the suggestions that people are making, and then internally we will make a decision as to whether or not this becomes an annual event”, the St. Kitts Nevis Ambassador said.
The Diplomats returned to St. Kitts later that day [Wednesday] where activities continued
under the theme “˜The Role of Foreign Policy and Diplomacy in advancing the National Development Agenda’.
Diplomatic Week climaxed on Thursday evening, February 22 with a lecture discussion at the University Centre on St. Kitts.