Premier Ebanks' First Official Europe Trip

The Hon. André Ebanks MP completed his first official visit this week as the Cayman Islands' Premier and Minister for Financial Services and Commerce, engaging with members of the UK Parliament including the UK Minister of State (Europe, North America and Overseas Territories), Stephen Doughty MP. 

On 16-17 June in London, the Premier met with key stakeholders including the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Rt Hon. Sir Lindsey Hoyle; Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister for Nature), Mary Creagh MP; Shadow Foreign Secretary, the Rt Hon Priti Patel MP; the Rt Hon. Sir Andrew Mitchell MP; Joe Powell MP; and the new Chair of the Cayman Islands All-Party Parliamentary Group Sarah Champion MP, and Vice Chair the Rt Hon. the Lord Brady of Altrincham.

The Premier also met City UK and Transparency International representatives; and hosted a drop-in morning coffee social at the Cayman Islands Government's London Office, attended by Overseas Territories representatives and practitioners based in Cayman Islands financial services firms' UK offices.

"The objective of these meetings is to set an early, positive tone between our new administration and key London stakeholders, particularly ministers of the UK Government," Premier Ebanks said. "This type of engagement strengthens the bonds, or deepens the bonds, of collaboration, and demonstrates that Cayman continues to be a trusted regional leader and partner while protecting and promoting our key industries and interests."

Minister Doughty and Premier Ebanks engaged in wide-ranging discussions on matters such as national security, environment programme funding, and financial services. A joint UK-Cayman Islands Government statement on their meeting is here.

Prior to the London meetings the Premier joined the Attorney General, the Hon. Samuel Bulgin KC, and a Cayman Islands delegation at the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Plenary in Strasbourg, France, from 12-13 June. It marked the completion of the Cayman Islands' direct participation in the plenaries under the FATF Regional Bodies Guest Initiative. 

Following the Plenary, the Premier participated on a FATF Technical Assistance Peer Exchange panel on 14 June.