Antigua and Barbuda assumes OECS Foreign Affairs Council chairmanship

Antigua and Barbuda’s Foreign Affairs Minister, E. P. Chet Greene, has assumed the chairmanship of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs. The leadership transition from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines occurred during the Council’s tenth meeting at the Antigua and Barbuda Permanent Mission to the United Nations.

Minister Greene warned that the region faces a global environment that threatens to reverse decades of progress. He highlighted risks such as nationalist and protectionist policies weakening international trade, vulnerable supply chains, and heavy market dependence. He also noted that visa restrictions and changing entry requirements are disrupting regional business, education, and travel.

The Council addressed several critical issues, including geopolitical strategy, trade and logistics diplomacy, and the management of Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programs. Greene called for disciplined collective action to utilize the OECS’s existing integration platforms, such as the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank and the common Supreme Court, to expand regional trade and diversify supply markets.