By Robert A. Emmanuel
Maximising what could be made from the country’s sovereignty — that was how the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff Lionel Hurst described the government’s relationship with the newly formed cybernation Joseon.
Joseon — a cryptocurrency-based cybernation – received full recognition from the twin island nation this month, following a 2022 treaty that allowed for ‘conditional recognition’.
At the post-Cabinet media briefing yesterday, Hurst responded to questions about the cybernation, comparing a relationship with Joseon to the region’s citizenship by investment programme (CIP).
“We see the opportunity for making Antigua and Barbuda a better place in which to live by utilising our sovereignty in this way.
“When the nations of the Caribbean began their citizenship to those who could afford the cost of new citizenship, it was something rather new, so we have been stepping forward in new ways to help Antigua and Barbuda…by experimenting with all forms of our sovereignty,” he said.
According to its website, Joseon is “introducing the legal concept of a personal interest corporation (or “denizen”), decoupling identity and reputation from a physical person”.
Hurst rebuffed concerns that the cybernation could become another FTX scam – in which investors were cheated out of billions – as happened in the Bahamas.
“In our agreement with the Joseon nation, we made it very clear that if there is any kind of arrangement that suggests that it is engaged in any untoward action, that Antigua and Barbuda will break off the diplomatic relations.
“Clearly, those who have wealth and wish to utilise it in this way are not people to be alienated,” he said.
Hurst referenced the Knights of Malta—the Sovereign Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, Knights of Malta, Federation of the Autonomous Priories (KMFAP)—who established diplomatic relations with Antigua in 2016, which Hurst claimed was broken off immediately once an issue arose.
Meanwhile, Hurst also revealed that the government had received US$1.5 million from the cybernation which had been placed into the development of the Sir Novelle Richards Academy.
“It has contributed significantly to making the Sir Novelle Richards Academy a better place for the students; we believe that our sovereignty allows us to take steps that are, by other states, deemed a little bit unusual.
“Nevertheless, this is very much in keeping with the code and ethics of Antigua and Barbuda to ensure that we utilise every single system that we can,” Hurst said.
He added that the agreement with Joseon was in keeping with the norms of international law.
“They have been able to persuade us that they can be of assistance to us and they have proved that by providing some resources…and provided that we are not disobeying any international norms or engaged in anything that smells not good,” Hurst replied.
The Prime Minister’s son Gaston Browne Jr currently serves as the Joseon Ambassador to Antigua and Barbuda and a Vice Minister of State.
Hurst said the Prime Minister’s son had received no salary from the government for his work with Joseon and is simply acting to bring the two nations closer together.
“He is merely a way to enable Antigua and Barbuda to develop friendship with this particular state…and his role is that of trying to ease the friendly way into Antigua and Barbuda and you could say that he has been very successful,” Hurst noted.