On behalf of the Government and people of Samoa, I am pleased to extend our congratulations to Your Excellency, Mr. David Ward and the British Government on the official opening of your High Commission in Samoa. This is a landmark occasion and a new dawn in our diplomatic relations given our shared history prior to our independence and common identity as members of the Commonwealth and the United Nations. To that end, I also wish everyone gathered here, a happy Commonwealth Day which is celebrated today globally.
It was at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London in April 2018, that the formal announcement was made, of the new UK diplomatic missions across the Commonwealth including Samoa and two of our Pacific neighbours as part of the Pacific Uplift Strategy. For the Blue Pacific, we welcome Britain’s return to our region, in some ways it normalises the uncertainty of Brexit.
So today, we will celebrate the realization of new connections in order that we strengthen our bilateral relations, cooperate towards shared prosperity and security as well as jointly tackle the unrelenting challenges of our environment and sustainable development, in particular Climate Change. I pause to acknowledge with gratitude the voluntary assistance and selfless service of the United Kingdom Medical Teams that were immediately dispatched to Samoa to assist our emergency operations and services during the Measles epidemic in December 2019. We were truly blessed with the collective goodwill of the many Good Samaritans that helped during these difficult times.
Samoa is preparing to host the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in 2022 and the physical presence of the British High Commission in Apia is reassuring of direct and timely communications between Apia and London as well as expedient access to the Secretariat. Consular matters will be greatly facilitated and settled on a timely basis.
The Samoan diaspora in Britain continues to grow annually through migration, sports contracts particularly for rugby, students who are recipients of Chevening scholarships pursuing higher qualifications and the odd one or two that have excelled in the arts and have made London their home.We would also like to acknowledge the support of the UK to the recently concluded Committee on the Rights of the Child session that Samoa was honoured to have hosted.
In trade relations, we are also acceding to the UK-Pacific interim EPA just as we have done with the EU interim EPA.We look forward to strengthened relations with the UK in the future at both country and regional levels. Congratulations once again on the launch of the British High Commission and the employment opportunities generated for the recruitment of your local staff.
Toast:I now propose a toast, to Her Majesty the Queen and people of the United Kingdom,. Manuia!
