Honourable Joseph Andall, Grenada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Export Development, successfully arranged and held meetings with the following key ministers of the Government of Canada, in order to advance certain diplomatic, trade and developmental initiatives that are beneficial to the Grenadian people and Government.
These initiatives all fall under the transformative agenda of the Dickon Mitchell-led administration.
Specifically, Minister Andall, Permanent Secretary Roxie McLeish-Hutchinson and Consul General Gerry Hopkin held a significant meeting with high-level officials of Canada’s Ministry of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship. The officials met with included the Minister himself, Hon. Marc Miller; the Deputy Minister Hon. Scott Harris; and the Director of Operations in the said ministry, Bryan Rourke.
In particular, this meeting addressed Grenada’s interest in having the reinstatement of visa-free access status for our nationals, and in having on-island processing of the visa applications of Grenadians, inclusive of year-round or more frequent on-island collection of biometrics from Grenadian visa applicants while there is still a visa requirement for Grenadians that are interested in travelling to Canada for business, family, education or leisure purposes. The latter accommodation would alleviate or reduce the burden of difficult-to-get or obtain costly air travel and housing in other islands where Canada’s visa processing services are available.
Discussions in this meeting were frank and hopeful, with both sides agreeing to have follow-up technical meetings to advance a way forward.
Grenada’s delegation also arranged and successfully held similar pull-aside meetings with the following 3 Government of Canada ministers:
- Hon. Melanie Joly, Canada’s Minister of Global Affairs
- Hon. Mary Ng, Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development; and
- Hon. Ahmed Hussen, Minister of International Development
Both sides in each of the meetings between Grenada’s delegation and the above three high-level Government of Canada officials, agreed to engage their technical teams in continued discussions toward advancing the proposals made by Grenada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Export Development, Hon. Joseph Andall. Among other things, Minister Andall’s proposals seek increased enabling developmental assistance that would positively impact Grenada’s growth in productive economic activities and international trade with more exports to Canada and elsewhere.
Consulate General of Grenada in Toronto
