CHARLOTTE AMALIE — After Governor Albert Bryan introduced him, British Virgin Islands Premier Natalio Wheatley set a cooperative tone for the Ninth Annual Inter Virgin Islands Council, which was the first meeting between the two governments since 2020.
Premier Wheatley went off-script with a brief anecdote about going to school on St. Thomas, living in Estate Thomas as a child and how his brothers bagged groceries at Grand Union before ending his opening remarks with a call for unity between the two island territories.
“It’s just an example that you are us, and we are you. We are one Virgin Islands people,” the Premier said. “The task before us is to be able to maximize the areas of mutual benefit and really honestly and truly confront those few areas where we have areas of conflict. I believe we can do it.”
During the meeting Thursday morning at Government House on St. Thomas, Premier Wheatley and Deputy Premier Kye Rymer and members of their Cabinet met with Governor Bryan, Lt. Governor Tregenza Roach and members of their Cabinet to discuss a number of topics, including ways to use the USVI fiber-optic network to assist the BVI in setting up free wifi hotspots for residents.
Also on the agenda were discussions about developing:
- Passes to bypass customs procedures for USVI residents to attend festivals in the BVI.
- Pre-clearance of U.S. Customs for visitors landing on St. Thomas on the way to the BVI.
- A reciprocal agreement to streamline business license requirements for day charters and water taxis to operate between territories.
- Reciprocal agreements regarding commercial and recreational fishing licensing and requirements.
- Cooperative efforts by both territories to streamline the overnight charter market.
Governor Bryan also said he had given the BVI delegation a letter naming Department of Consumer Affairs Commissioner Richard Evangelista as the Consul General to the BVI on behalf of the USVI.
In his closing remarks, Governor Bryan expressed his hope that by working together, the USVI and BVI could maximize the benefits of their combined tourism assets and in so doing, enhance the experiences of thousands of tourists who visit each territory every season.
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