His Excellency Scott Furssedonn-Wood, the United Kingdom’s High Commissioner to Antigua and Barbuda, the remaining Eastern Caribbean islands and Barbados, paid an official visit to Antigua and Barbuda last week. On Friday the High Commissioner met Prime Minister Browne, accompanied by Resident British Commissioner to Antigua and Barbuda, Her Excellency Lindsy Thompson, where he congratulated the leader of the twin-island state on the recent completion of the World’s Toughest Row – Pacific by Team Antigua Island Girls and the historic Virgin Galactic space flight by mother-daughter duo Keisha Schahaff and Anastasia Meyers.
The High Commissioner to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean assured PM Browne that despite circulating reports, the global implementation of the UK’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system has not yet started. Its global rollout will start in October, with Antigua and Barbuda’s at a yet-to-be-confirmed date in 2024. Resident Commissioner Ms Thompson reassured PM Browne the British High Commission will give advance notice of the rollout date.
Meanwhile, PM Browne thanked His Excellency Furssedonn-Wood for the UK’s support of Antigua and Barbuda’s hosting of the fourth UN Conference on SIDS slated to take place in May 2024, as the three officials continued discussion of various matters of mutual interest between Antigua and Barbuda and the United Kingdom.
Later that day, Mr Furssedonn-Wood and Ms Thompson also met with the Leader of the Opposition, the Honourable Jamale Pringle, Senator Shawn Nicholas and Deputy Chair of the United Progressive Party Jason Mannix.