Grenada Looking to Enhance Canadian Relations

TORONTO, September 30 - Increasing airline travel between Canada and Grenada, and a lifting of the Canadian visa restriction on Grenadians, are among areas of priority in the National Democratic Congress administration's attempts at strengthening and enhancing relations with Canada.

Prime Minister Tillman Thomas and Foreign Minister Peter David have both commended Canada for its development assistance to Grenada over many years. They said the Canadians were forced to impose the visa restriction on Grenadians over concerns that many non-Grenadians, of "questionable character,'' were able to buy Grenadian passports under the economic citizenship program of the ousted New National Party regime.

"It would appear that some persons who bought passports were questionable characters. So we are trying to identify and to recover some of these passport,'' Prime Minister Thomas told reporters in Toronto.

Mr. Thomas and Foreign Minister David met with journalists at a news conference during a weekend visit that was highlighted by a gala hosted by the NDC's Toronto Support Group.

The Prime Minister and Foreign Minister also met representatives of various Grenadian associations in Toronto, attended a service and reception in their honour at a packed Toronto church hall, and engaged in business meetings with private sector officials.

Asked by a reporter about Grenada-Canada relations, Prime Minister Thomas responded: "We have always had excellent relations with Canada. Canada has contributed substantially to agriculture and education in Grenada. Some of the biggest public schools in Grenada were built by Canada.''

Nationals of most of the countries of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States do not need a visa to travel to Canada. Grenadains enjoyed the same status until the visa rule was implemented in 2001.

The NDC government is trying to get the Canadians to remove the visa requirement.

Mr. David, who visited New York before coming to Toronto, said he met with Canada's Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister at the United Nations and discussed the visa issue.

"He listened with interest and indicated that certain action will have to be taken on our side,'' Mr. David said. "And hopefully once we take that action, we would be able to move on with the discussion as ton how Canada treats us with respect to the visa issue.''

Mr. David, who is also the Minister of Tourism, said he wants to make greater use of the Canadian market in boosting the tourist sector of the Grenada economy. However, one of the obstacles to be overcome will be airline travel to Grenada.

"We still do not have sufficient airlift into Grenada,'' Mr. David lamented. "I think it would be easy to market Grenada in Canada if we have the airlift problem solved.''

The minister said he is exploring ways of finding a solution to the airline travel woes between Canada and Grenada.

"We are not satisfied that we are maximizing in the Canadian market,'' he said. "Therefore, we will be seeking to have discussions with Canadian operators to see how we can enhance that.''