Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris (left), Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis welcomes His Excellency Nicolás Maduro Moros (right), President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to the shores of St. Kitts and Nevis on his inaugural visit.
Basseterre, St. Kitts, September 23, 2015 (SKNIS): History was made in Basseterre when His Excellency Nicolás Maduro Moros, President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela made his inaugural visit to St. Kitts and Nevis in a quest to strengthen ties of cooperation and solidarity, on Wednesday, September 23.
Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris, Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis and other government officials, welcomed His Excellency Maduro to the Federation during a ceremony at the Robert L. Bradshaw (RLB) International Airport.
“It is a distinct honour for me to welcome the president to the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, said Dr. Harris. “Mr. President, your visit here highlights a major strategic approach of the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis’ foreign policy outlook of boosting relations with our friends with whom we share a long history of friendship, while simultaneously forging new alliances.”
Prime Minister Harris said that the Government is proud that the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is among some the Federation’s most time-honoured international partners, adding that since the early 1980’s St. Kitts and Nevis and Venezuela established diplomatic relationships and since then, the relationship has strengthened.
Dr. Harris highlighted the many areas in which the country has benefited, with help from Venezuela including the establishment of the Venezuelan Institute which provides training in the Spanish language and culture in the federation, as well as assistance in healthcare, education, energy transportation, agriculture as well as housing.
One particular aspect that stood out was the contribution made by the PetroCaribe Agreement.
“Through PetroCaribe, your government continues to demonstrate a long-lived commitment to the cause of my government and that of fellow regional governments,” said Prime Minister Harris, adding that the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis and other Caribbean islands, have been able to more adequately cater to its social and economic development agenda. “The government has achieved poverty reduction and improvements in the condition of life of our people.”
While on the island, His Excellency Maduro assisted in the symbolic distribution of cheques to former sugar workers and their families and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding bilateral cooperation in a number of developmental areas including housing, infrastructure, law and order, education and training, agriculture, health, energy and technical assistance.