PM signs Air Services Agreement with UAE

The Government of St Vincent and the Grenadines and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Friday signed an Air Services Agreement (ASA) at the Cabinet room.

Speaking at the ceremony, Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves said that over the last three months, there has been a flurry of activities between SVG and the UAE.{{more}}

He recalled that prior to the signing, a UAE minister of state visited SVG and organized for the visit of a seven-member delegation of technocrats, including people involved in civil aviation, air transportation, ports and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Prime Minister stated that when he visited the UAE in February to sign a USD$15 million soft loan agreement to set up a geothermal power station here in SVG, he used the opportunity to have official meetings in Dubai.

Gonsalves further noted that he has written to authorities both in Dubai and the UAE to set up a trade and investment office in Dubai and also an SVG consulate.

He said the ASA is parallel to the infrastructure development and opening of the Argyle International Airport.

The ASA relates to the convention on international civil aviation, which came into operation at the 1944 Chicago Convention for the purpose of establishing and operating air services between and beyond member states. Each contracting party grants the other the rights specified in this agreement to enable its designated airline to establish and operate agreed services.

Under this agreement, there is a guaranteed right to fly across the territory of the other contracting party for the purposes of taking on or discharging international traffic in passengers, baggage and cargo.

Also speaking at the ceremony, director general of the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority His Excellency Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi said that the main aviation objective of the UAE is to ensure the steady growth of the aviation sector, while maintaining the highest standard of safety and security.

He stressed that while the UAE is a relatively young civil aviation nation, their air transport policy was formulated after careful analysis. The director general said, “In a very short space of time the UAE has become a major hub of air transport in the world.”

According to Al Suwaidi, the UAE has the world’s biggest and fastest growing passenger and cargo hub and has agreements with close to 168 countries.(AS)