Dubai, United Arab Emirates —3rd February 2026…… Prime Minister the Honourable Gaston Browne, accompanied by the Honourable Minister Maria Browne, today began a full schedule of high-level engagements at the World Governments Summit (WGS) 2026, marking a strong and purposeful start to Antigua and Barbuda’s participation in the global forum.
The Antigua and Barbuda delegation attended the official opening ceremony of the Summit, following which Prime Minister Browne held a series of bilateral meetings focused on strengthening South–South cooperation, expanding economic and investment opportunities, and advancing strategic international partnerships.
Prime Minister Browne’s first bilateral engagement was with H.E. the President of the United Republic of Tanzania. Discussions were described as highly productive and centred on cooperation to unlock untapped tourism potential, the development of air connectivity between Africa and the Caribbean, and opportunities for bilateral investment. The meeting concluded with agreement on the establishment of a Joint Technical Team to further advance collaboration, to be led by Antigua and Barbuda’s Non-Resident Ambassador to the State of Qatar, H.E. Theon Ali.
Meanwhile, Minister Maria Browne led a bilateral engagement with a senior representative of JETEX, a global leader in private aviation services, including Fixed Base Operations (FBOs), VIP terminal management, and bespoke services for high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clientele. Discussions explored Antigua and Barbuda’s potential to position itself as a hub within the private aviation and luxury travel market. Minister Browne emphasized that the country’s modern infrastructure, reputation for privacy, exclusivity, and high-end hospitality place it in a strong position to pursue this opportunity. JETEX committed to visiting Antigua and Barbuda in the coming weeks to further assess and advance the proposed collaboration.
Prime Minister Browne later held a bilateral meeting with H.E. President Duma Gideon Boko of the Republic of Botswana. The Prime Minister commended Botswana’s record of political stability, strong public institutions, and prudent economic management. Discussions included proposals to establish joint technical committees to explore cooperation in public sector capacity development and the role of sovereign wealth funds in supporting social welfare programmes. Botswana also expressed keen interest in learning from Antigua and Barbuda’s Citizenship by Investment Programme, recognizing the country as a leading example of effective implementation.
Further engagements included a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Professor Dr. Amon Murwira, during which discussions focused on the development of joint tourism packages and potential cooperation in military and defence-related areas.
Prime Minister Browne concluded the day with a series of international media engagements. He is scheduled to continue his active participation at WGS 2026 as a panelist in a main Summit session and at a high-level roundtable discussion on the Future of Tourism.
Throughout the day’s engagements, which also included meetings with CARICOM colleagues, Prime Minister Browne and Minister Browne were supported by H.E. Ambassador Theon Ali, Special Envoy Mr. Armand Arton, and Antigua and Barbuda’s Climate Ambassador, Ms. Ruleta Camacho-Thomas.
