Prime Minister Gaston Browne on Tuesday, reached out to key members of the European Parliament, proposing a sustained dialogue on issues of concern to both sides.
In the most recent of a series of Zoom meetings with EU parliamentarians and policy-makers, Browne spoke with Stephane Bijoux, who is a member of the European Parliament and chair of the European Parliament’s Delegation to the Cariforum-EU Parliamentary Committee (DCAR).
The DCAR monitors the implementation of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the European Union and the fifteen Cariforum member states.
Bijoux, who hails from the French island of Reunion in the Indian Ocean, spoke with some empathy for the issues raised by PM Browne, as he himself comes from a small island that suffers many of the same constraints as Antigua and Barbuda and other Caribbean states.
PM Browne outlined some of the challenges faced by Cariforum countries, including uneven access to the EPA. He described a situation where the lack of special and differential treatment for the smaller members of the EPA such as Antigua and Barbuda was a major obstacle to economic development.
The Prime Minister also addressed the question of the CIP programmes in the OECS member states, highlighting that some EU member states seem to be under a misguided notion that the CIP programmes can be used for illicit purposes, such as evading EU taxes or escaping the consequences of financial crime.
PM Browne emphasized that while many Cariforum states were in compliance with the FATF and other international standards, the EU had adopted an unhelpful approach of unilateral sanctions. He called on the EU to establish an enhanced dialogue with the Cariforum states, especially before any sanctions are applied.
For his part, Bijoux agreed on the question of sanctions and he considered that dialogue should always continue, even if sanctions are applied. He promoted the concept of South-South cooperation, and made note of Martinique and Guadeloupe, which are both French territory as well as associate members of the OECS. The Inter-Reg programme that exists between these French islands and the OECS was pointed to as a model of joint cooperation between regions that could be expanded.
The success of dialogue in recently changing US laws on banking was pointed to by PM Browne, and he called on the EU to adopt a similar approach.
Bijoux represents the Renew Europe Group as an MEP in the European Parliament.
The Prime Minister’s series of meetings with EU officials will continue in the weeks ahead.
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What a representation we have. World Boss. The best
Man sit your ass down . Everything damn thing a PARADE IS NEEDED ? Your a NAUSEATINGLY silly man. .
Didn’t Boris Johnson recently kick him in the teeth and tell him nicely to go to hell. Did you miss that news item? I guess you did!
Sidelines:You say,World Boss. I say World Jack Arse. Let the World Jack Arse Bray. Did he ever get Vaccinated? How do we know that? We as a people do not know for a fact. However,he is pressuring others to be Vaccinated. I do not believed. He was ever Vaccinated.That man is so lie.If lie did see him.It would run its arse to Redonda.
Traitor dictator tyrant Gaston Browne needs to be removed from office. All he continues to do is bury we the people and our country.
The schmuck Gaston is an embarrassment to our nation.
Amen to that .
Yes such an embaressment that our Prime Miister has been chosen as the spoke person for Small Islands State and the Caribbean on many forums. Such as he was last with the Jamaican PM on a zoom meeting with the President of the USA and forty other leaders worldwide. That is how he embarreses us. Too bad you guys have such a hatred for the man. But who God bless no man curse.
You can eat your heart out.
Silly man you are, Sideline. Gaston Browne was not invited because he is Gaston Browne. He was invited because he is Chairman of AOSIS. It was a courtesy invitation. If you do your research you will note whether he was elected to AOSIS or whether it is a nominated position.
BTW, has Biden even responded to his letter asking for vaccines?
There is a funny cartoon coming out of another CARICOM country making fun of “Gaston the Red Clown” boasting about how rich he is.
And …Boris Johnson still kicked him in the teeth ( HA HA HA)
YO MAN, SIDELINES, YIDA is being discussed on Observer. Please listen to hear how Papa wanted to save our lands. The same lands that Destruction Browne, the Red Clowne has given to the Chinese. How can you support this? Have you no national pride! Don’t you see that Gaston don’t love you! In fact, he does not love black people.
@ Desert Rose
You’re wasting time trying to talk sense to that idiot. His lips so brown from kissing Browne batty. He done drink the red Kool-Aid and gone through.
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