It is also a time of reflection and celebration as we undertake this symbolic and collaborative effort to embark on a new stage of our journey.” This was the declaration of Deputy Prime Minister, Sam Condor, who spoke during the official opening of the Embassy of Brazil.

Minister Condor, who is also the Minister of Foreign Affairs said the opening is testament to how far the St. Kitts and Nevis-Brazil partnership has come and the immense and wide-ranging potential it holds for the future, the first steps to building a stronger alliance between our two governments.

Guests at the event included Governor General, His Excellency Dr. Sir Cuthbert Sebastian; Prime Minister Dr. Denzil L. Douglas; Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Brazil, His Excellency Miguel Magalhães, Dean of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassador of Venezuela, His Excellency Cruz de Jesús Bello, members of the Diplomatic Corps, government officials and representatives of the business community.

The Foreign Minister said the opening of the embassy also marks the beginning of a new chapter in a bilateral relationship that will harness closer ties to provide better opportunities for the people of both countries.

“As we reflect on recent developments and strides that we’ve taken together, let us focus on the important aspects that make this relationship possible and practical,” said Mr. Condor, who noted that a key facet in the St. Kitts and Nevis Brazil relationship is the growing interaction in the area of South-South cooperation.

In 2008, under the leadership of Brazil, a high-level dialogue on integration and development was held with Latin America and the Caribbean. As a result of Brazil’s role in bridging the divide between Latin America and the Caribbean, the region is now in the process of creating its own organization to advance its interests in the global community.

Minister Condor said that the diplomatic reach of Brazil extends far beyond the realm of the South American continent and the traditional allies of the North and as the largest country in Latin America and as South America’s leading economic power, Brazil is fast emerging as a superpower thereby expanding its presence in world markets.

He said that the protracted functionality of the ties between St. Kitts and Nevis and Brazil will only be cemented through the various areas of shared interests and shared priorities.

Expressing his appreciation to the Government of Brazil for recently accepting a proposal to form part of the Brazil-Guyana Partial Scope Agreement, Deputy Prime Minister Condor said he is convinced that “our association with such viable trading partners will help to scope out niche markets and trading opportunities which will redound to the benefit of us all.”

He also said that the inception of Embassy denotes the first steps to building a stronger alliance between the two governments, and sets the stage for increased cooperation and engagement on a wide array of issues.

“As our partnership continues to advance in the coming years, I hope we will incorporate other issues by mutual consent for there’s plenty to be done,” said Deputy Prime Minister Condor.