Ireland’s Ambassador to Antigua and Barbuda, Eamonn McKee, with residence in
Canada, paid courtesy calls Prime Minister Gaston Browne and Minister of
Foreign Affairs E.P. Chet Greene.
During the calls, both Prime Minister Browne and Minister Greene pressed upon
Ambassador McKee, the importance of Ireland’s voice in advocating to the EU
Commission, their need to engage Antigua and Barbuda on the issue of blacklisting
“as we continue to work assiduously to curb illicit funds in the financial sector”.
Minister Greene went on to state “if we are partners engage us instead of
reprimanding us…. we do not intend to impede on any sanctions or other existing
programmes.”
Minister Greene thanked Ambassador McKee and by extension the Government of
Ireland for their continued cooperation and engagement with Antigua and Barbuda,
and for the hosting of the inaugural Latin America and the Caribbean Business
Forum entitled ‘Ireland and LAC – Expanding Opportunity’ where he met with the
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Micheál
Martin, to discuss and build upon existing trade and investment links.
Ambassador McKee responded by stating that Ireland empathizes and understands
the importance of having a comparative advantage in a competing world as they
too, have an economy strongly based on Foreign Direct Investment. Moreover, he
pledged to assist with this engagement noting that “Ireland can be a key partner to
Antigua and Barbuda post-Brexit…”
Prime Minister Browne and Minister Greene both thanked the Government of
Ireland for their support for the upcoming 4th International Conference on SIDS,
and expressed their appreciation for the advocacy of Ireland on the challenges that
affect SIDS. Ambassador McKee remarked that policies to address issues on
climate change and those that affect SIDS can only be shaped by listening to their
needs, which Ireland has made an effort to listen. The Government of Ireland has
pledged approximately 1 million Euros to the 4th SIDS Conference.
PM Browne and Minister Greene both conveyed their desires to deepen sporting
relations, cultural relations and greater people-to-people exchanges. Recently, there
have been 3 Antiguans and Barbudans on the Ireland Fellowship programme.
Though formal notes were exchanged years ago through both countries’ respective
missions at the United Nations, this is the first time an Ambassador of Ireland is
presenting credentials to be formally accredited to Antigua and Barbuda, signally
the beginning of deeper engagements between both countries.
In the 1600’s, a sizable portion of the Caucasian population in Antigua and
Barbuda were Irish, arriving in Antigua as indentured servants, merchants, planters
and slave owners. This can be witnessed in surnames such as O’Reilly, Sweeny,
Turner etc.
