St. Kitts and Nevis strengthen ties with India by opening High Commission in New Delhi

St. Kitts and Nevis completed its first diplomatic mission in India on Tuesday, 7th April, 2026 with the inauguration of the High Commission. The commissioning of the ceremony took place at 5:00 pm in New Delhi where India’s Minister of External Affairs, Dr. S. Jaishankar and The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federation, Dr. Denzil Douglas attended the ceremony as the chief guest.

St. Kitts and Nevis is working continuously on building a global diplomatic presence  along with strengthening its international partnerships.

This partnership was further strengthened with the opening of the High Commission of St. Kitts and Nevis in New Delhi, India. With this commissioning, St. Kitts and Nevis has gone a step further in building bilateral relations with India in terms of trade, tourism and cultural exchange.

The brief ceremony was held in the evening to mark the official commissioning of the High Commission.  The ceremony included a ceremonial lamp-lighting which is an Indian tradition, marking new beginnings along with a ribbon cutting ceremony to officially declare the mission open.

Dr. Denzil Douglas along with Jazzée Connor, the Foreign Service Officer of St. Kitts and Nevis attended the ceremony. In attendance there were several diplomats from different countries including the High Commissioner of St. Kitts and Nevis to India, Gurdip Dev Bath.

Dr Douglas delivered a feature address on behalf of Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew and the government of St. Kitts and Nevis and he described the occasion to be a truly historic moment.

He mentioned that under the leadership of Dr. Terrance Drew, St. Kitts and Nevis has been actively reformulating its foreign policy framework. Now the government aims for a  clear focus on building strong relations with India.

Dr. Douglas mentioned about St. Kitts and Nevis being the first country in the Eastern Caribbean to establish a resident High Commission in India and only the fifth CARICOM member state to do so.

He further mentioned India's role as a key partner in advancing South cooperation.

At the same time, Dr. Douglas outlined that the High Commission will help in advancing the Sustainable Island State Agenda along with positively impacting sectors like renewable energy, climate resilience, technology transfer, education and investment diversification.

Dr. Douglas recalled the discussions with Dr. Jaishankar in 2023 which revolved around areas like clean energy transition, geothermal development, medical cooperation and digital skills. He noted that the establishment of the mission would help enable both the countries to transform these discussions into concrete outcomes.

India’s External Affairs Minister, Dr. S Jaishankar in his address welcomed the strengthening ties with St. Kitts and Nevis. He reaffirmed India’s commitment to deepening cooperation with St. Kitts and Nevis, especially pertaining to the areas of mutual development and partnership.

Speaking at the opening of High Commission of Saint Kitts and Nevis in New Delhi.

🇮🇳 🇰🇳 https://t.co/kibJg0x9N2

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) April 7, 2026

Gurdip Dev Bath, the High Commissioner in his welcome address expressed appreciation to the guests and dignitaries for their presence. He ensured his commitment to strengthen bilateral relations along with expanding collaboration between the two countries.

The ceremony was brought to an end with the vote of thanks by Foreign Service Officer of St. Kitts and Nevis, Jazzée Connor. He thanked Dr. Jaishankar for his continued support during the whole process. On a similar note, Connor appreciated Dr. Douglas for his “impactful remarks” reflecting the significance of the occasion.

Connor also acknowledged the leadership of Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew and High Commissioner Gurdip Dev Bath in the establishment of the High Commission. He said that this commissioning marked an important step in the strengthening of bilateral relations and he also expressed his hopefulness for continued growth.

This establishment of the High Commission in New Delhi marks the broader vision of the Government to expand St. Kitts and Nevis’ global diplomatic relations and cast strategic partnerships that help towards sustainable development and economic growth.