By Bennette Roach
When we reported on the Government’s representation where Premier Romeo and Education, Health and Social Services Delmaude Ryan were the main speakers at a meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPG), hosted by MP Andrew Rosindell in the UK, I told of a report from the Premier and Mrs. Ryan on what they discussed with the group.
Mrs. Ryan said, “We came to an understanding in relation to how they can work in supporting us about moving forward and particularly as we have now entered a new phase…or I must say a new relationship with the British government and their willingness to want to provide that support to Montserrat…”
Mrs. Ryan explained, “We shared in terms of what has transpired over the past and where we are now; we also shared in relation to the challenges we face,” pointing out, “Our major challenge really is about having the infrastructure in place that will enable the economy to be at the stage where we can sustain ourselves.”
Anyone listening to the Premier’s statement for the new year might note some response to their representation and it was gleaned from further reports.
The Deputy Premier said they pointed out to the parliamentarians etc. “There is allot of opportunities in Montserrat in relation to what the volcano has brought for us but also the fact in terms of our location.”
She said tourism came up on the discussion in terms of how we can capitalize on other tourists that come through the region. She noted, “there is also some interest from members of both houses to visit Montserrat to see what is happening on the ground as well, so that they can pretty much more effectively represent us.”
She reported that they (the British) were expecting to have a debate in the house to bring back Montserrat back in the House of Parliament to give us a new profile pretty much of Montserrat pretty much in terms of going forward.
Speaking for the group after the Premier, she said finally, “I found that the support was really great, that great interest that was shown, and the willingness to want to help us to move forward. We anticipated, as Premier would have shared that we would have come in being on the fighting end, always having to fight, But with the change in tone, changing relationship we recognized we were more at the stage where we can actually get where we want to go.”
The Minister with spirits high at the moment said that “Montserrat can truly be a model for the rest of the region and rest of the overseas territories to show what partnership can look like and what a good working relationship with the British can look like if they effectively hold their part and we also hold our part in terms of how we agree with a common plan on a common vision.”
The Minister concluded as she reiterated, “That was shared which was very positive for us overall. I think they’re also seeing that too, that we can be a model for the Caribbean they support; that some of the very things we articulated before in terms of how, if dealt with properly, Montserrat can be that model that they all speak of.”
