Antigua and Barbuda’s Foreign Affairs Minister, E.P Chet Greene, is proposing a
consultative approach with the European Union on the question of blacklisting
over matters dealing with financial services.
Speaking with the new German Ambassador to Antigua and Barbuda, Dr.
Christoph Eick, last Friday, Greene noted that Antigua and Barbuda has always
favoured consultation on these matters rather than to have the EU unilaterally
impose sanctions.
Greene said this is particularly frustrating since St. John’s has been making earnest
efforts to come to terms with the requirements as stated by the EU.
“The issue of blacklisting is a troubling one for us and our economy as our
positions has been to always seek a level of dialogue as opposed to unilateral
sanctions which is the way it has been done currently. We want to enlist your
support for discussions at the EU level. The notion of a consultative approach
versus unilateral approach on these matters. If we have consultation on these
matters, we might know what are the gaps, real or perceived, and I would be able
to address them,” he explained.
According to the foreign minister, Antigua and Barbuda has spent many hours
working and fashioning its legislations to deal with these issues as well as being
‘very strident’ in its comments at every level in terms of its support for the
international framework of anti-terrorism, antimony laundering etc, yet after doing
all this work to meet the demands by the EU and others, it still faces the possibility
of being ‘blacklisted’.
“To have ourselves placed on a sanctioned list after all that does not give a good
feeling that the work we are doing is even appreciated, so we are asking for a level
of cooperation which allows for dialogue. Even as we speak, we are offering a
team of experts from St. John’s to travel to meet with the EU to discuss these
issues so that we can be very clear as to why, as well as to have an opportunity to
explain directly what is our own situation,” he remarked.
In response, Ambassador Eick stated that from his Port of Spain, Trinidad and
Tobago base, he has had to deal with the matter of blacklisting and therefore he is
quite familiar with the subject. “In my reporting with my capital (Berlin) I will
point to the need for engagement and consultation because I believe that this is
something that has to happen and which probably has not happened enough on the
issue of delisting,” he revealed.
Ambassador Eick also took note of the complaints from many Caribbean capitals
on what is termed ‘moving of the goal-posts’. He noted that reports from Brussels,
headquarters of the EU, that offers for consultations have been made but he is of
the view that there cannot be too much consultation on issues such as these.
