Gaston Browne, accompanied by Maria Browne, began a full slate of high-level engagements on the opening day of the World Governments Summit (WGS) 2026, signaling a focused and strategic start to Antigua and Barbuda’s participation in the global forum.

The Antigua and Barbuda delegation attended the Summit’s official opening ceremony, after which Prime Minister Browne moved into a series of bilateral meetings aimed at strengthening South–South cooperation, expanding economic and investment ties, and advancing strategic international partnerships.

Prime Minister Browne’s first bilateral engagement was with H.E. the President of the United Republic of Tanzania. Discussions were described as highly productive and centered on unlocking tourism potential, improving air connectivity between Africa and the Caribbean, and identifying opportunities for bilateral investment. The meeting concluded with agreement to establish a Joint Technical Team to advance collaboration, to be led by Antigua and Barbuda’s Non-Resident Ambassador to the State of Qatar, H.E. Theon Ali.

Meanwhile, Minister Maria Browne led a separate bilateral engagement with a senior representative of JETEX, a global leader in private aviation services, including fixed base operations, VIP terminal management, and bespoke offerings for high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients. Discussions explored Antigua and Barbuda’s potential to position itself as a hub within the private aviation and luxury travel market.

Minister Browne highlighted the country’s modern infrastructure, reputation for privacy and exclusivity, and strong high-end hospitality offering. JETEX committed to visiting Antigua and Barbuda in the coming weeks to further assess and advance the proposed collaboration.

Later in the day, Prime Minister Browne met with H.E. President Duma Gideon Boko of the Republic of Botswana. The Prime Minister commended Botswana’s record of political stability, strong public institutions, and prudent economic management. Discussions included proposals to establish joint technical committees to explore cooperation in public-sector capacity development and the role of sovereign wealth funds in supporting social-welfare programmes.

Botswana also expressed strong interest in learning from Antigua and Barbuda’s Citizenship by Investment Programme, recognizing the country as a leading example of effective implementation.

Additional engagements included a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Professor Dr. Amon Murwira, where talks focused on the development of joint tourism packages and potential cooperation in military and defence-related areas.

Prime Minister Browne concluded the day with a series of international media engagements. He is scheduled to continue his active participation at WGS 2026 as a panelist in a main Summit session and as a contributor to a high-level roundtable discussion on the future of tourism.

Throughout the day’s engagements, Prime Minister Browne and Minister Browne were supported by H.E. Ambassador Theon Ali, Special Envoy Armand Arton, and Antigua and Barbuda’s Climate Ambassador, Ruleta Camacho-Thomas.