During his first meeting with Prime Minister Mitchell of Grenada, St Vincent’s PM Godwin Friday highlighted the deep, intrinsic bond between the two nations and the responsibilities of regional leadership.
In an interview with the API Friday stated that their relationship transcends national boundaries. He emphasized that the Caribbean people are “one people,” though he noted that this ideal is not always lived out as well as it should be.
He pointed out that St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada are particularly close due to geography and the historical interaction of their people in the Grenadines. To illustrate this connection, Friday shared an anecdote from election night, where people in Grenada followed the results so closely that they celebrated in the streets.
The prime minister stated that the primary role of elected officials is to act as public servants who put the “interests of our people ahead of anything else”. He pledged his commitment to deepening this relationship to work collaboratively for the benefit of their citizens.
Friday expressed that this commitment to the people’s interests should extend beyond their two nations to include the OECS and the wider Caribbean. He acknowledged that Prime Minister Mitchell shares this commitment, based on both their conversations and Mitchell’s prior actions.
The prime minister noted that while it was important to meet physically to start this relationship, he looks forward to working with Mitchell and other regional leaders to advance the interests of the entire region.