Diplomatic and Diaspora Communities Welcome New Envoy to Canada as Federation Secures Partnerships for Sustainable Development

Ottawa, Ontario Canada (Friday, 23rd February 2024) – As the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis seeks to consolidate traditional relationships including with Canada, Saint Kitts and Nevis’s new High Commissioner to Canada His Excellency Mr. Samuel Berridge was welcomed on Parliament Hill – the seat of the Canadian government – as he hits the ground running on his tour of duty.

An intimate gathering welcomed St. Kitts and Nevis’s High Commissioner and his family at Ottawa’s National Arts Center. In attendance were representatives of Global Affairs Canada, the CARICOM Ambassadors Group in Ottawa, and hemispheric and global partners from including Panama, Brazil, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Taiwan.

In expressing gratitude for the warm courtesies received by him and his family since landing in Canada, High Commissioner Berridge applauded the efforts of the team at the Consulate and the High Commission for making his transition a seamless one. He also registered sincere appreciation to Prime Minister the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew and Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Dr. Denzil Douglas for their votes of confidence, both of which he vowed to uphold with professionalism, diligence, and dignity.

High Commissioner Berridge touched on the seven pillars on which Saint Kitts and Nevis’s efforts to evolve into a Sustainable Island State rest, and touted that Saint Kitts and Nevis continues to ‘punch above its weight,’ in doing its part to uphold the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. “These seven pillars form the grand tapestry on which our diplomatic engagement thrust is based,” explained High Commissioner Berridge. “My role as High Commissioner is to engage in dialogue with you, not only to help us achieve our goals, but also to strengthen the bonds of friendship which currently exist from bilateral, regional and multilateral points of view” Mr. Berridge said.

Saint Kitts and Nevis and Canada share a long history of functional development cooperation dating back to the (West Indies Federation) days of the 1960s. It includes discussions on trade, higher education, capacity building in numerous fields, and active engagement with regional and international development partners.  The CARICOM-Canada Summit provided impetus into this strategic partnership as both countries seek win-win partnerships for a resilient future.

A strategic constituency of the evening was the St. Kitts and Nevis diaspora in the National Capital Region whom the High Commissioner invited to work with the mission to multiply the impact of the Federation’s diplomacy in Canada.

The new High Commissioner, in his second week in Ottawa, has already held significant meetings across the Ottawa diplomatic community and is scheduled to undertake strategic engagements across the governmental, industrial, and educational sectors.