Kittian Prime Minister Dr Terrance Drew will assume chairmanship of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) when the OECS Authority hosts its 73rd meeting in the twin-island’s capital Basseterre.

The incoming chairman will be among speakers at the opening ceremony on Sunday (June 18) at the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank auditorium.

Additionally, Sunday’s meeting will also serve to commemorate the 42nd anniversary of the sub-regional grouping, which came into effect on June 18, 1981.

The 42nd anniversary of the OECS is celebrated in Saint Kitts and Nevis from June 13-19, 2023, under the theme ‘Vision. Integration. Sustainability’.

Following the opening ceremony, Drew and his OECS colleagues will discuss several issues including regional integration, security, health, and renewable energy.

The OECS comprises member states St Vincent and the Grenadines, Montserrat, St Lucia, Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, St Kitts and Nevis and Grenada, as well as associate members Anguilla, Guadeloupe, Martinique and the British Virgin Islands.

The powerful political bloc is still committed to its mission to promote regional integration in the Eastern Caribbean, “when neighbouring countries, that share physical or cultural characteristics, join forces to pursue similar goals, such as facilitating trade, exchanging resources, and solving problems collectively”.

A flag-raising ceremony will precede the June 18 opening ceremony, to be held at the Zuliani Roundabout in Frigate Bay at 4:00 pm local time.