The High Commissioner of Saint Kitts and Nevis to the United Kingdom, His Excellency Dr Kevin Isaac, represented the Prime Minister, the Honourable Dr Timothy Harris at the Cannes International Emigration & Luxury Property Expo, held in the beating heart of the French Riviera from 26 to 27 October 2017.
Dr Isaac delivered his speech on Thursday, 26 October and expressed to the audience his delight to partake in a ‘platinum standard event’ to speak of the ‘platinum standard of citizenship by investment’ – a phrase, he said, which indicated “the rigorous journey [St Kitts and Nevis had] undertaken to emerge as country that offers a product of strength and integrity.”
Casting his mind and that of his audience to 1984, the High Commissioner noted that it was in St Kitts and Nevis that citizenship by investment “all began” and that, since then, the Federation had retained its role as the pioneer of the citizenship by investment space. “I am encouraged by the fact that virtually all other programmes today have borrowed elements from our Programme,” he said.
While Dr Isaac did much to extol the virtues of the St Kitts and Nevis Programme, past and present, it is to the future that he turned the attention of his listeners. St Kitts and Nevis is a nation that thinks ahead, he said, and the most recent example of this is the launch of the Hurricane Relief Fund, a temporary fixture of the Citizenship by Investment Programme that allows families to invest US$150,000 or more in the Federation to assist it in preparing for the uncertainties brought about by climate change, and to restore any damage caused by natural disasters. The High Commissioner said it was the Government’s hope that, with the help of investors and stakeholders, the Fund “will also be able to support our fellow neighbouring countries, who too have been touched by a severe hurricane season.”
The Hurricane Relief Fund received a positive response from the audience, many of whom observed that the deadline for the Fund option, set to 30 March 2018, meant prospective applicants had to move quickly to take advantage of an offer that is both economically sound and wholesome, providing for the prevention of harm for St Kitts and Nevis and the Caribbean as a whole.
The High Commissioner concluded by stating that the people of St Kitts and Nevis had “placed the Citizenship by Investment Programme on a more stable and sustainable path” that was future-looking, and that through the Programme people were welcome to become a part of “a country which is progressive, focused and committed to quality, integrity, mutual trust and opportunities for all.”
After the speech, Mr Isaac attended a global press briefing, where he applauded the St Kitts and Nevis Programme and its ability to stand the test of time, as well as life on the twin islands and their appeal to tourists and visitors. He also remained available throughout the course of the day, when he was approached time and time again by agents seeking to learn more about the Hurricane Relief Fund, and even expressing an invigorated intent to represent St Kitts and Nevis’ Programme as Authorised Persons or International Marketing Agents licenced to promote the Programme worldwide. Significant interest was gauged from representatives from Russia, but also the Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Spain, Cyprus, United Arab Emirates, the United States, and the United Kingdom.