Antigua Hosts 78th OECS Authority Meeting on Regional Security and Trade

Antigua and Barbuda is hosting the 78th Meeting of the OECS Authority, drawing Eastern Caribbean heads of government to coordinate on shared priorities including regional security, trade, and the mounting external pressure on the bloc’s citizenship-by-investment programmes. The gathering of the sub-regional body comes as several member states adopt new residency requirements in response to tightened U.S. and European visa terms.

For Antiguans abroad, the meeting is a useful barometer of how the smallest states intend to pool leverage on issues, from passport policy to climate finance, that no single island can move alone. Prime Minister Gaston Browne, recently returned to office for a fourth term, has positioned the federation as a vocal defender of CBI as a legitimate development tool, framing the OECS as the natural forum to push back collectively.

Source: Antigua News Room; OECS Authority.