Greene Defends Expansion of Diplomatic Relations as Survival Drives Antigua’s Foreign Policy
Antigua and Barbuda is deliberately expanding its diplomatic and economic relations beyond traditional partners as part of a foreign policy strategy driven by survival, Foreign Affairs Minister E.P. Chet Greene said.
Speaking on Government in Motion, Greene said the government is broadening its international footprint in response to shifting global conditions, rising costs and vulnerabilities faced by small island states.
“We’ve been talking recently about expanding the footprint, diversifying markets, the whole nine yards,” Greene said.
He pointed to Africa as a key area of growing engagement, saying the relationship is already producing tangible results.
“When we say, for example, seeking to have close relations with Africa, you can see it in evidence,” Greene said. “Today, for example, we had 100-odd nurses arriving from the continent on an African airline.”
Greene said Antigua and Barbuda has established diplomatic relations with several African countries and is exploring the opening of missions to deepen those ties.
“We have established diplomatic relations with a number of African countries,” he said. “We are still looking at opening missions in key African states.”
He said diversification is also being driven by economic realities, particularly the cost of imports from traditional markets.
“Traditional markets are not necessarily closing, but they’re becoming less friendly,” Greene said. “The North American market where we depend on — we must have our food — for example, it is proven to be a costly one.”
As a result, Greene said the government is engaging South American and regional partners to strengthen food security and reduce dependency.
“We’ve been talking to South American countries — Colombia,” he said. “We’re talking to the Dominican Republic next door to us, trying to diversify our food supply chain.”
Greene said the expansion of diplomatic relations is not an abstract policy shift but one rooted in national survival, particularly in the face of climate change.
“A simple short phrase — our existence,” he said, when asked what Antigua and Barbuda is fighting to secure internationally.
He said the effects of climate change are already visible across the region.
“It is here, it is now,” Greene said. “You only need to go to the coastline of Antigua, Barbuda and several small states in the Caribbean and you can see the difference.”
Greene said small states are suffering the consequences of emissions they did not create, making climate justice a central diplomatic concern.
“Emissions and the like — that we do not cause — are bothering us most,” he said.
He said global commitments have too often failed to translate into action.
“You get a lot of talk at the level of the COP and other international fora, but very little delivery in terms of pledges and promises,” Greene said.
Despite that, Greene said Antigua and Barbuda must continue its advocacy.
“We can’t resile away and simply say that large countries are not delivering,” he said. “We have to keep on pounding the pavement.”
Greene said the country’s foreign policy is grounded in equality and shared responsibility.
“We have one earth,” he said. “It is our common home.”
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Eh, eh! Chetty ah push “covertly” for the leadership of the ABLP. Good for he!
His prominence is growing in the news on a daily basis. However, I’m still rather baffled by the ABLP supporters why they aren’t getting behind Chet Greene becoming the next leader of the party?
Explain unna selves nah?
Remember, Antigua & Barbuda isn’t Gaston Browne.
You can measure his prominence by how often Gaston feels the urge to kneecap him. Look for another one after this
There is nothing wrong with having or attempting to have a relationship, a good relationship, with other countries but it requires persons with intelligence (both meanings, intellect and data) to execute this and understand and consider the impact of having a relationship with one will impact the relationship with another. These skills no one in the ABLP government possessed.
So incompetent that when someone who possess these skills advise you, you are dumb enough to ignore it. Ignoring the warnings for years and now put the people of the United Islands of Antigua and Barbuda into the predicament they are in and also, with me weekly getting cancellations of greencard interviews for my Antiguan and Barbudan clients because they are on a list of countries whose greencard issuance are being suspended because their is an ABLP PM Gaston Browne, ABLP MP for foreign affairs Chet Greene, ABLP Attorney General Steadroy Cutie Benjamin, ABLP tourism Minister that was too ignorant to stop themself and each ABLP other from constantly bashing the US, and doing so for dictators, authoritarian governments, who kill and imprisoned political rivals. Are you really that dumb to not know publicly supporting such leaders is morally and legally wrong? Be friends as you like but you must know when to hold, know when to shut up and when to walk away from a topic and when to support. You don’t count your money while people are suffering there will be time enough to count it when you start and you are done helping your people achieve all they can.
I think I’ve heard something similar from the one who’s at the top, but with him it sounded more pie in the sky. Coming from Chet it sounds real and attainable, time for him to depart the scene and let the country soar
Time Chet Greene MAN-UP and tek over the damn Party. Gaston did that to Lester in a most awful way and didn’t give a shit about who said what. High time people who care about Antigua realize Chet is more Decent, Statesman-like and a better choice for the future
And in the same breath, y’all botch the relationship with Antigua’s most important partner, the US.
Like or don’t like the Donald, you and GB got caught with your pants down time and time again.
I’m not against the intent, but this administration is not the one to see us forward, because they have failed over and over again, most recently with the US Negotiations.
So for me, great sentiments, but this cannot be left to this inept government to carry out, they simple cannot be trusted with the affairs of the Antiguan people.
They have Failed.
Great with China, and terrible with everyone else. That’s a failure.
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