On Tuesday, September 24^th, 2019, some of the world’s most prominent business, government and nonprofit leaders were featured speakers during the 2019 Concordia Annual Summit at the Grand Hyatt, New York.  St. Kitts and Nevis’ widely admired Prime Minister, Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris, was one of them.

The Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis and the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, the Honourable Gaston Browne, were both featured in an engaging and insightful panel discussion moderated by Armand Arton, the founder and president of Arton Capital, a leading global financial advisory practice focused on investor programs for residence and citizenship.  Arton is also the founder and chairman of the Global Citizen Forum and the Global Citizen Foundation.

Prime Minister Harris spoke passionately before a large audience about the storied legacy of St. Kitts and Nevis’ Citizenship by Investment (CBI) program, which is the oldest in the world.  The Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis described in detail how the country’s CBI program has grown in significance and scale and has helped to transform the socioeconomic landscape.  Prime Minister Harris said construction is the major driver of economic growth in St. Kitts and Nevis and that several high-profile developments owe their progress and success to the CBI program.    

The theme of the panel discussion was Mobility and the Power of a Passport.  The Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis has one of the top 25 passports in the world.  Additionally, St. Kitts and Nevis’ passport is ranked 1^st in the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States.

The 2019 CBI Index published by The Financial Times’ Professional Wealth Management Special Report ranks St. Kitts and Nevis as one of the top two CBI programs in the world.  The CBI Index gives St. Kitts and Nevis an excellent overall score of 89% and a perfect 10 out of 10 on the criteria of Mandatory Travel or Residence, Citizenship Timeline and Due Diligence.  It also gives St. Kitts and Nevis 9 out of 10 for Ease of Processing, as well as for Minimum Investment Outlay, and 8 out of 10 for Freedom of Movement.  The publisher of the 2019 CBI Index notes that the Foreign Ministry of St. Kitts and Nevis has made a particularly noteworthy push to expand travel offerings for citizens.

Convening in New York for its ninth year, the Concordia Annual Summit is the leading non-partisan global affairs forum that brings together current and former heads of state, C-suite and nonprofit executives, entrepreneurs and thought leaders on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.  The Concordia Summit has a history of featuring prominent personalities and powerhouse speakers, such as the likes of Joe Biden, Tony Blair, Elaine Chao, Christine Lagarde, and Ivanka Trump.