Italy admits making mistake in blacklisting SVG – PM

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has promised to send to St Vincent and the Grenadines a letter admitting that the blacklisting of this country as a “tax haven” was wrong.

On Wednesday, June 17, the European Union (EU) blacklisted 30 countries as ‘tax havens’. Fourteen out of the 30 countries were Caribbean countries, including St Vincent and the Grenadines.{{more}}

Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves said on Monday during a press conference at Cabinet Room that the EU was wrong and Italy will rectify that in a letter. He said that he spoke with the Italian prime minister during his recent visit to the United Nations General Assembly and Renzi has admitted that the blacklisting was a mistake.

Gonsalves said that around May/June this year, this country had a meeting with the foreign minister of Italy during the Latin American Caribbean Summit in Brussels and one week later, “these fellas just came from the left field with some bureaucrats from the European Commission…they made a terrible mistake and now the PM (Italy) said it was a mistake and they were wrong and they have corrected it and I should be getting a letter soon, this week and I hope I get the letter.”

The PM added also that Italy wants support, as that country will soon make make a bid for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.

The Security Council consists of 15 members. The great powers that were the victors of World War II: Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, and the United States serve as the body’s five permanent members. These permanent members can veto any substantive Security Council resolution, including those on the admission of new member states or candidates for Secretary-General. The Security Council also has 10 non-permanent members, elected on a regional basis to serve two-year terms. The Council is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security, as well as accepting new members to the United Nations and approving any changes to its United Nations Charter.

The PM said that during his visit to the General Assembly, he also spoke to the Italian PM and the Netherlands about training and education and assistance for football. He said that he supports these two countries in their Security Council bid and noted that the Dutch have promised to send a top soccer coach here to assist with the preparation of our soccer team, leading up to their World Cup Qualifier with the United States in September.

PM Gonsalves noted also that St Vincent and the Grenadines is the smallest country ever to have interest of holding a non permanent seat on the Security Council. (LC)