On the sidelines of the 2026 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting hosted in Antigua and Barbuda’s Jumby Bay Island on November 4, Gaston Browne, the nation’s Prime Minister and current Chairman-in-Office of the Commonwealth, held a high-level bilateral dialogue with Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister to map out new pathways to deepen ties between the two small island nations. During the closed-door discussion, Prime Minister Browne laid out Antigua and Barbuda’s strategic national vision to upgrade its domestic seaport into a cutting-edge transshipment hub that would serve as a critical logistics anchor for the entire Caribbean region. He outlined that the Antiguan and Barbudan government has already allocated and deployed roughly US$100 million in funds to kick off port expansion and modernization works, with a matching US$100 million earmarked for subsequent phases of the project to bring the hub vision to fruition. The Singaporean Deputy Prime Minister responded with strong positive reception to the port development proposal, confirming that he would direct PSA International, the global port operations and supply chain integration leader headquartered in Singapore, to conduct a full feasibility assessment of potential participation in the ambitious Antiguan port initiative. He emphasized PSA’s decades-long track record of managing port assets across global markets, and its proven expertise in weaving disparate port facilities into interconnected, efficient supply chain ecosystems that drive regional trade growth. Both senior leaders also dedicated a significant portion of their talks to highlighting the unique shared priorities of small sovereign states, noting that targeted collaboration, mutual trust and targeted knowledge sharing are powerful tools that can help small nations unlock stronger economic resilience and amplify their collective negotiating clout on the global diplomatic stage. Prime Minister Browne further formalized Antigua and Barbuda’s pledge to extend full support for Singapore’s priorities across Commonwealth frameworks and other multilateral bodies, including backing for relevant Singaporean candidatures for international institutional roles. He concluded the meeting by expressing enthusiasm for forging a results-focused bilateral partnership that delivers measurable, tangible improvements to the livelihoods of citizens in both nations.
Singapore to Consider Investing in Antigua and Barbuda’s Port After Talks With PM Browne
