LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Last week, St Kitts and Nevis opened Diplomatic Week 2019 by celebrating the 158 countries and territories with whom it has visa-free or visa-on-arrival agreements. Prime Minister Timothy Harris gave a speech after a service where he met with numerous dignitaries from partner countries, including Austria, Canada, Israel, Nigeria, South Africa, and the United States.
Introduced when PM Harris served the country as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Diplomatic Week seeks to honour St Kitts and Nevis’ relationships with other nations which, as of 2019, cover over three quarters of the world’s territories. This year’s theme was Securing a Resilient Future through Strategic Diplomacy and Effective Dialogue. During the opening ceremony on April 9th, the premier noted the importance the Federation has always placed on diplomacy. “Thirty-five years ago, as the world’s newest independent sovereign nation and the smallest independent country in the Western Hemisphere, the Federation of St Kitts and Nevis was quickly steeped in strategic diplomacy.”
The High Commissioner of South Africa to St Kitts and Nevis, Lumka Yengeni, expressed commitment to the countries’ shared partnership. “We hope that the relationship that we are cementing today will go a long way, meaning that the two governments will have to look at the areas of cooperation and see where we can strengthen each other.” PM Harris also met with St Kitts and Nevis’ Honorary Consuls to Belgium and Turkey, Dr Aykut Mehmet Eken and Mrs Fatima Gonul Oray Eken respectively, on Thursday.
Ranked 26th worldwide for its passport strength, the small country attracts investors looking to acquire second citizenship for reasons beyond increased mobility. Since 1984, St Kitts and Nevis has successfully run its Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Programme. The world’s longest-serving, it is the only CBI programme known to have reached the industry-level Platinum Standard. Upon passing Programme due diligence, which specialists at the Financial Times’ PWM magazine awarded full scores in last year’s CBI Index, citizenship hopefuls contribute to the country’s economy via the Sustainable Growth Fund. The Fund is the newest investment channel under CBI, and is cited as the most straightforward route to St Kitts and Nevis’ citizenship.
CS Global Partners is the international legal advisory mandated by the Government to promote the Citizenship by Investment Programme worldwide.