High Commissioner to Canada appointed

St Vincent and the Grenadines now has a High Commissioner to Canada.

On Wednesday, September 16, La Celia A Prince presented credentials to Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada.

In presenting her credentials, the High Commissioner emphasized {{more}} the value and importance that St Vincent and the Grenadines places on the relationship with Canada, thus the decision of the Government of her country to reinstate diplomatic relations at that level, albeit via a non-resident High Commissioner. Prince, whose substantive duties remain that of Ambassador to the United States of America and Permanent Representative to the Organisation of American States, will continue to be based in Washington DC, while serving as non-resident High Commissioner.

As with the Consulate of St Vincent and the Grenadines in New York, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Embassy of St Vincent and the Grenadines in Washington DC, so too will the Consulate of St Vincent and the Grenadines in Toronto, headed by consul general Fitzgerald Huggins, fall under the purview of the Office of the non-resident High Commissioner.

During her one-day trip to Ottawa, High Commissioner Prince was also able to meet with representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Canada to discuss the mutual expectations and aspirations for the bilateral relationship between St Vincent and the Grenadines and Canada. Meeting with Julia Wayand, deputy director for the Latin-America and Caribbean Division, and senior desk officer Daniel Bood, the High Commissioner flagged St Vincent and the Grenadines’ interest in securing greater trade opportunities with Canada, outside the framework of the current negotiations of the Canada-CARICOM Free Trade Agreement (FTA), particularly via the vehicle of municipal chambers of commerce. She also identified the need to have further and more elaborate engagement on Canadian immigration and deportation policies, as well as the visa restrictions to which St Vincent and the Grenadines is now subject.

For their part, the Canadian officials signalled an interest in facilitating dialogue between St Vincent and the Grenadines and several Canadian companies with expertise in renewable energy, who are particularly keen on working in the Eastern Caribbean. They indicated that the Canadian government and private sector have followed with keen interest the policies and thrust of the Government of St Vincent and the Grenadines on the question of renewable energy, and recognize the rich scope for collaboration between both countries in developing SVG’s tremendous potential in the area of renewable energy. The officials also enquired about the level of recovery of St Vincent and the Grenadines, following the devastating Christmas trough of 2013.

St Vincent and the Grenadines was last represented at the level of High Commissioner to Canada by Brendon Browne, who served with concurrent responsibility for all OECS countries from 2007 until the closure of the OECS High Commission in September 2011.