BVI and USVI Common Issues Discussed at IVIC Meeting

The delegations of government officials of the British Virgin Islands and US Virgin Islands discussed the areas of mutual interest during the seventh meeting of the Inter Virgin Islands Council (IVIC) which was held in St Thomas on September 2. The BVI delegation was led by BVI Premier and Minister of Finance, Dr Orlando Smith, and the USVI delegation was led by the jurisdiction's governor, Kenneth E. Mapp.

During the meeting the committees presented reports on law enforcement, tourism, energy and utilities, education, and other areas. It was decided to hold regular annual meetings, strengthen their capacity building efforts, improve information exchange, and reach more co-operation on public information outreach efforts. Speaking about the results of the meeting, USVI governor stated that the territories should continue to work together on their mutual interests, and find resolutions. 

The Inter-Virgin Islands Council was established on 29 May, 2004, with signing a joint memorandum of understanding. The first meeting of the Council was held in April 2005. The next IVIC meeting will take place on October 6, 2017, in the British Virgin Islands.