BVI, USVI Explore Ways to Forge Closer Ties

Orlando Smith, chief minister of the British Virgin Islands, discussed ways to strengthen ties between the British and United States Virgin Islands while he attended the third meeting of the Inter Virgin Islands Council (IVIC) in St Thomas last week.

The Chief Minister headed a BVI delegation including permanent secretaries in the Chief Minister’s Office and Communications and Works, the Director of the BVI International Affairs Secretariat and other senior technical staff.

The Director of Communications noted that discussions at the IVIC meeting included a number of common issues affecting the territories. These, she said, include law enforcement, issues of inter-island transportation, and scope for cooperation in water and waste water issues.