His Excellency Luis Beltran Martinez Thomas will be the first resident representative of Argentina in Saint Lucia.

The Ambassador of the Argentine Republic to the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) His Excellency Luis Beltran Martinez Thomas, presented his credentials to Dr. Didacus Jules, Director General of the OECS, in an official ceremony which took place at the OECS Commission last week.

The OECS Director General expressed pleasure in receiving the Argentine Ambassador at the OECS Commission, and highlighted the significance of the occasion, given that Ambassador Martinez Thomas would be the first resident representative of Argentina in Saint Lucia.  

Dr. Jules said that after the OECS and the Argentine Republic established diplomatic relations just over a year and a half ago, a series of notable developments have taken place within a short space of time, including the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Argentine Republic and the OECS on South-South and Triangular Cooperation, and the establishment of an Argentine Embassy in Saint Lucia. He described such developments as evidence of Argentina’s desire to foster a long-term friendship with the countries of the Eastern Caribbean.

In response, the Argentine Ambassador underscored his country’s commitment to the OECS sub-region and to the wider Caribbean.

He affirmed that Argentina has decided to broaden and deepen its relations with Caribbean countries bilaterally and multilaterally, through regional organizations such as the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Association of Caribbean States (ACS), and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). He noted that within this framework, Argentina has recently tripled the number of resident embassies in the CARICOM region and intends to continue with this policy towards the Caribbean in the future.

The OECS Director General expressed his hope and optimism that avenues for fruitful South-South collaboration between Argentina and the OECS Member States could be explored in the near-future. He stated that the OECS stands to benefit from Argentina’s strong expertise in agriculture, environmental management and other technical areas, while both sides can facilitate opportunities for business development and trade.

Regarding further consolidation of diplomatic and socioeconomic relations between Argentina and the OECS, the Argentine Ambassador affirmed that the presence of a resident Embassy in Castries will not only encourage diplomatic relations between Argentina and Saint Lucia, but will deepen the partnership with the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States as well, especially in areas of mutual interest for our societies.

The Ambassador further asserted that the Technical Cooperation Agreement between Argentina and the OECS signed on January 15, 2013, will play a key role in achieving this objective.  He indicated that an agreement is in place and the mission now is to move to implementation.