WATCH: PM Browne Hopeful Partial U.S. Visa Restrictions Will Be Dropped After June Review

11
Gaston Browne

Discussion continue with the Department of State

Prime Minister Gaston Browne says Antigua and Barbuda is engaged in ongoing discussions with the United States and is hopeful that a partial visa restriction affecting its citizens will be lifted when it comes up for review in June.

Speaking during an interview on ABS Television, Browne said recent talks with U.S. officials, including Deputy Secretary of State Landau, have focused on resolving the issue.

“We remain hopeful that in June, when the restrictions would have expired, there will be no renewals … and that we will return to the status quo,” he said.

Browne argued that the restrictions were imposed on a “false premise,” specifically claims that Antigua and Barbuda’s citizenship-by-investment programme lacks a residency requirement.

“There was this restriction, ostensibly because our programme does not have … a residency requirement, which clearly was not true,” he said.

He said the country has maintained strict compliance standards, including aligning its screening process with U.S. sanctions lists and rejecting applications from sanctioned countries for more than a decade.

“We have a sanction-list-only programme that moves in tandem with the United States,” Browne said.

The prime minister added that U.S. State Department officials had expressed concern about how the decision was made.

“We would have spoken to members in the State Department … and they regretted that such action was taken based on a false premise,” he said.

Browne maintained that neither he nor his administration had engaged in any conduct that would justify sanctions, insisting the country has been “totally compliant” with international standards.

He said Antigua and Barbuda will continue diplomatic engagement as it seeks a full reversal of the restrictions.

Advertise with the mоѕt vіѕіtеd nеwѕ ѕіtе іn Antigua!
We offer fully customizable and flexible digital marketing packages.
Contact us at [email protected]

11 COMMENTS

  1. When will Gaston Browne stop insulting our intelligence. It will never happen under your Administration. Your policies caused it. They do not trust you and never will. Only a NEW ADMINISTRATION with a name different from ABLP has a chance to reverse this SHIT that you have put us in. THAT’S THE PRICE WE PAY FOR YOUR GREED

  2. “PM Browne Hopeful Partial U.S. Visa Restrictions Will Be Dropped After June Review”. This depends on whether we elect UPP or not. Do the right thing people. Elect UPP!!!

    By the way what is up with this “Condemning” of a local occurrence in the US, that is already solved?? Is this an attempt to kiss around the edges?? All that was needed is a note expressing the relief that all is safe.

  3. Yeah Gaston! The visa a burn the people and them so you political colleagues ask you to speak optimistic about visa , give the poor black people an illusion that it is going to happen when not while you are there.

    Only a change of government can create the space for negotiation.
    A UPP government will ring with a difference in Washington ears.

  4. Obfuscation without contrition is asinine. And Gassy is expressing his perchance for the subjunctive renaissance of the statue quo. He might as well offer up a quid pro quo and, retract his stance
    Because the State Department of the USA, is not into giving pro-bono; when dealing with the intransigence of their ideological and capitalist dominance stance in this hemisphere, that encompassed their tird border. I do know, that it is time that we accept our quasi sovereignty; with the scene of the allowed limited autonomy, and not allowed Communist Ideological trend to encroach into ours; and the USA’s regional sphere of reference. The foolishness of allegiance association with adversary of the USA is incomparable with the USA’s hegemonic mantra: as it pertains to Antigua and the governance in the Caribbean; who must two the lines, and keep it in time. Gassy is now playing a disconnected wakeup from reality. If he’s thinking that it’s all about CIP &, Visas denial. Which is only the first shot fired, across the bow of the ship of state of Antigua 🇦🇬 Barbuda. When it comes in June for the review revision: please do not be gullible, and expect a retraction, with our ambivalence governance fencing stance of preference alignment towards Communist China; and collusion with Communist encroachment, for handouts with strings attached: because of circumstantial offering that seemed as just too good to reject as tangible effect-like in a feel good drunken stupor, and now awakened; and waiting form the hangover. The next shot is going to be massive. Just ask the Cubans, per si.

  5. This man GB really doesn’t listen?
    Bro the Donald has already turn his back on you, that’s a fact.He will never forgive you for choosing Maduro and the Chinese over him, never.

    He came to you with open arms, and you turned him down for Maduro’s corrupt oil money. Now that Maduro is gone, and the UAE just cut ties with OPEC, here you are crying back to the Donald like a B**ch, sending the man love letters and all this nonsense. 😂

    I know politics very well GB, and one thing I’m good at is discerning the actions of people, and the other thing I do know, is that this guy we have in the white House do not forget those who talk bad about his actions.. So you stay there with your delusional thinking.

    You squandered the golden opportunity to have any favorable talks with this man Donald.
    I don’t like the man personality, but you cannot go against the man’s agenda so hard like you did, especially when the man is in his first year of his presidency.

    It was just terrible deplomacy GB, terrible.

    You should have listened to me and pick the lesser of both evils that I advice you to..you should have picked the US, in spite of the Donald, now here you are crawling back to your own vomit. Smdh

    You should have abandoned that foolish Rhetoric you keep touting, bout ” enemy to none and friends of all” when we all know that’s a bunch of croc.
    Pick your side and stay on it..

    You should have picked the US. No nation and it’s people spend more money in Antigua and Barbuda than the US. It’s simple economics.

    But some people are so stupid, that they bite off their nose to spite their face.

  6. You Antiguans sick my stomach… Criticizing leadership is one thing, but hoping for negative outcomes that affect the entire country is different. At the end of the day, visa restrictions impact all of us, not just the government. you guys are a bunch of wishy washy people

  7. @ Chupzzz, how do you think we hot to this situation it’s because of Gaston and his stupid greedy policies and you want us to give him a standing ovation. Something is radically wrong with you.
    The only thing I have to say to you is one big dutty
    CHUPTZZZ

  8. Gaston is obviously feeling the pressure from the US State Department, hence, he’s hoping for some kind of a reprieve to cool the fire under his tail.

    I thought, that he’d be bold enough to predict, that they’ll all be lifted and Antiguans and Barbudans would be getting their US VISA stamps, similar to pre-COVID 19, except we now have to abide by new flying guidelines.

    Let’s hope, that with the MADURO Court Cases heating up in Manhattan soon, and the fact that, the Feds are looking for witnesses to testify against MADURO, that no top PUBLIC OFFICIAL will lose their diplomatic immunity and travel privileges to the USA, if they fail to cooperate with the Feds against MADURO.

    On the other hand, cuddling up to Donald Trump and #Dry_Begging will not even get into the thoughts of Donald Trump, who is fighting like hell to save his political life, by hoping, that the US Congress both the House and Senate don’t flip and become majority DEMOCRATS, because, not only will TRUMP be impeached again, yet again, this time he’ll removed like Richard Nixon.

    Gaston is hoping for a #Hail_Mary on the USA VISA SANCTIONS against Antiguans & Barbudans.

    Jumbee_Picknee aka Ras Smood
    De’Ole Dutty Peg🦶🏿Foot
    #Garrate_Bastard

    Vere Edwards

  9. @ Chupzzz. The posters are expressing why they think that our US visas can only be restored under a new government. How about you tell us why you think that Gaston will be the better person to restore our visas? Then we could a good discussion. Try it for once naw!!!

Comments are closed.