THE PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES ALSO REAFFIRMED OUR COMMITMENT TO MAINTAINING THE HIGHEST STANDARDS OF INTEGRITY, TRANSPARENCY AND SECURITY IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF OUR CITIZENSHIP BY INVESTMENT PROGRAMMES.

While in Dominica for the Ceremony marking the Change of Chairmanship of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank Monetary Council, I joined my fellow Heads of Government from the participating Eastern Caribbean States on Friday, July 10, 2026, for a special meeting to discuss the European Union's proposed revisions to its visa suspension mechanism and the implications for Citizenship by Investment programmes in our region.

We agreed on one fundamental principle: the relationship between our countries and the European Union is important, and we remain committed to respectful and constructive dialogue.

The participating countries also reaffirmed our commitment to maintaining the highest standards of integrity, transparency and security in the administration of our Citizenship by Investment programmes. Significant reforms have already been implemented across the region, including stronger due diligence, enhanced information sharing and the establishment of the Eastern Caribbean Citizenship by Investment Regulatory Authority to strengthen oversight and regional cooperation.

For small island developing states, Citizenship by Investment has become an important source of development financing. It has supported investments in infrastructure, healthcare, education, housing, climate resilience and disaster recovery, while helping countries reduce their reliance on borrowing.

We also agreed that any future changes to existing arrangements must take account of the unique vulnerabilities of small island developing states and protect the development gains our countries have worked hard to achieve.

To move these discussions forward, we agreed to strengthen our diplomatic engagement with the European Union, including a high-level mission to Brussels to engage directly with European leaders. Our objective is to find practical, balanced solutions that address legitimate concerns while safeguarding the development interests of our region.

For Saint Lucia, our priority is to protect the progress we have made while preserving the strong partnership we enjoy with the European Union and other international partners. We believe dialogue remains the best path forward, and we will continue working with our regional colleagues towards a balanced outcome that supports the long-term development of small island states.