the boundary between the Caribbean nation and Anguilla, a British Overseas Territory. This means that, Antigua and Barbuda has now delimited three of its five maritime boundaries, while the boundaries with Monserrat and St Kitts and Nevis are yet to be negotiated.
In his address, following the signing of the agreement, PM Browne emphasised the significance if the country’s Economic Exclusive Zone (EEZ), which covers nearly 200 times the size of its land mass.
“These waters offer enormous potential for economic development and growth, particularly in light of the adoption of a ‘blue economy’ approach to national development,” he said. “Today, Antigua and Barbuda takes another key step in realizing this potential. When we establish the outer limits of our maritime space, we can develop and implement methods for the utilisation of the space to its full economic potential.”
Welcoming these developments, Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland noted that the organisation’s continuing support towards the conclusion of the maritime boundaries of the island nation complements our strong commitment to blue economy principles.
“The jurisdictional certainties that such agreements provide, represents much more than a definition of the limits of national jurisdiction. They provide firm foundations for broader cooperation on preserving Antigua and Barbuda’s fragile marine biodiversity and ecosystems, and the conduct of sustainable ocean-based economic activities,” she said.
