Statement by PM Mitchell on election of Commonwealth Secretary-General

ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada — I welcome the declaration of support by Dr. the Honourable Keith Rowley, Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, for Sir Ronald Sanders to be elected as the next Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, reported in the regional media last week.

It is well known that the Government of Grenada supported the Antigua and Barbuda nominee from the outset, regarding him as a legitimate Caribbean candidate with the knowledge, experience and vision to invigorate the Commonwealth for the benefit of its peoples.

I join Dr Keith Rowley in the hope expressed by him last week that “others in our Region will, in the limited time left, make common cause by unifying our Region around Sir Ronald’s candidature.”

It is in our Region’s interest to unite around Sir Ronald Sanders, if our CARICOM is serious about ensuring that one of our own becomes the next Secretary General of the Commonwealth.

When our Region identified the coordination of Foreign Policy as one of the Four Pillars of our integration movement, it was with a clear understanding that this unity of purpose formed the best option for advancing our foreign policy interest.

Sir Ronald Sanders is our “best option” at this time.

I am therefore, hopeful, that in the days ahead those who have not yet done so will throw their full support behind Sir Ronald. (Grenada Broadcast)