GRAND CAYMAN, Cayman Islands – The Cayman Islands will host Overseas Territories Heads of Government for a pre-Joint Ministerial Council meeting this week.

The meeting will be chaired by Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin and is an opportunity for all Overseas Territories Heads of Government to exchange views on political and constitutional issues, especially as they relate to the United Kingdom and its relationship with OTs, and get an update on the work carried out by the United Kingdom Overseas Territories Association over the past year.

Heads of Government or their delegates from Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, St. Helena, Tristan da Cunha, and Turks and Caicos are scheduled to attend.

“Once again we are privileged to host the Pre-Joint Ministerial Council here in the Cayman Islands,” said Mr. McLaughlin. “Each Overseas Territory is different but these meetings afford us an opportunity to discuss the various ways in which we can work together. Through this meeting we will agree on an agenda and strengthen our collective position for the full JMC meeting later this year in London.”

Specifically, those in attendance will discuss the Communique process, progress reports and general feedback on the effectiveness of the last JMC, which was held in December 2018.

In the first session of the Pre-JMC attendees will discuss topics including a Joint Caribbean OT-wide oil spill clean-up, Trade, Banking in Small Jurisdictions and an Oceans Policy Update.

The second and third sessions will involve discussions led by the Cayman Islands about the recommendation of the Foreign Affairs Committee and the response from Her Majesty’s Government and an update on the United Kingdom Government.

Sessions four and five will feature discussions on Frozen Pensions, Brexit, FinTech, Health and active engagement with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

The Pre-JMC will be held at the Kimpton Seafire Resort and will be followed by an inaugural UK/OT International Trade Summit, also at the Kimpton.

The Trade Summit is jointly hosted by the Cayman Islands and UK governments and is the first of its kind.

The Trade Summit coincides with the Celebrate Cayman 60^th anniversary of the first written Cayman Islands Constitution, which will be celebrated over the weekend in the lead up to Constitution Day on Monday, 1 July, 2019.

During the week of events several prominent leaders will be in Cayman to participate including Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Secretary of State for the Overseas Territories, Prime Minister of Jamaica the Most Honourable Andrew Holness and members of the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Cayman Islands, Sir Graham Brady MP, Sir Michael Fallon KCB, MP and Lord Northbrook.