OECS leaders agree to free movement deadline

St George's (CMC):

Leaders of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) ended a two-day meeting on Friday agreeing to an August 1 deadline for the free movement of nationals within the sub-region.

The establishment of an European-styled regional parliament has also been agreed to by the leaders who meet at Calivigny Island, off Grenada's southern coastline.

Host Prime Minister Tillman Thomas said by mid-year, OECS nationals will only be required to use a drivers licence or an identification card to travel around the sub-region.

"We are setting the date of August 1st of this year. By that date we expect OECS citizens to be moving in and out of OECS states without restrictions," Prime Minister Thomas told a news conference.

"Once you have a driver's licence or ID card you should not have any difficulty moving. We are removing all the impediments to restrictions. We want that to be done by August 1st".

The two-day meeting took place on the heels of the coming into force of the Revised Treaty of Basseterre establishing the OECS Economic Union on January 21.

The regional parliament, part of the new OECS governance structure, is likely to be headquartered in Antigua and would include representations from prime ministers and opposition leaders in member countries.

The OECS groups the islands of Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis, Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands.