U.S. Relations With Saint Kitts and Nevis
More information about Saint Kitts and Nevis is available on the Saint Kitts and Nevis Page and from other Department of State publications and other sources listed at the end of this fact sheet.
U.S.-SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS RELATIONS
The United States established diplomatic relations with Saint Kitts and Nevis in 1983 following its independence from the United Kingdom. Relations between the United States and Saint Kitts and Nevis have historically been friendly. The United States seeks to assist Saint Kitts and Nevis both to develop economically and to strengthen democracy in its parliamentary form of government.
Saint Kitts and Nevis is strategically placed in the Leeward Islands, near maritime transport lanes of major importance to the United States. Saint Kitts and Nevis' location close to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands makes the two-island federation attractive to narcotics traffickers. To counter this threat, the Government of Saint Kitts and Nevis cooperates with the United States in the fight against illegal narcotics. The United States and Saint Kitts and Nevis have signed a maritime law enforcement treaty, later amended with an overflight/order-to-land amendment, an updated extradition treaty, and a mutual legal assistance treaty. The United States and St. Kitts and Nevis also cooperate through partnerships including the Partnership Framework for HIV and AIDS, the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas, and the Caribbean Youth Empowerment Program.
U.S. Assistance to Saint Kitts and Nevis
U.S. assistance to Saint Kitts and Nevis is primarily channeled through multilateral agencies such as the World Bank and the Caribbean Development Bank, and through the U.S. Agency for International Development office in Bridgetown, Barbados. Saint Kitts and Nevis also benefits from U.S. military exercises and civic action projects, including through the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative.
Bilateral Economic Relations
Saint Kitts and Nevis is a beneficiary of the U.S. Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI), which grants duty-free entry into the United States for many goods. The CBI aims to facilitate the economic development and export diversification of the Caribbean Basin economies. Saint Kitts and Nevis is a member of the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM). At the 2013 meeting of the U.S.-CARICOM Trade and Investment Council, the parties approved an action agenda outlining priorities for strengthening and deepening the trading relationship.
Saint Kitts and Nevis' Membership in International Organizations
Saint Kitts and Nevis and the United States belong to a number of the same international organizations, including the United Nations, Organization of American States, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organization.
Bilateral Representation
The U.S. Ambassador to Saint Kitts and Nevis is Larry L. Palmer, resident in Barbados. Other principal embassy officials are listed in the Department's Key Officers List. The United States maintains no official presence in Saint Kitts and Nevis. The Ambassador and Embassy officers are resident in Barbados and travel frequently to Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Saint Kitts and Nevis maintains an embassy in the United States at 3216 New Mexico Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20016 (tel. 202-686-2636).
More information about Saint Kitts and Nevis is available from the Department of State and other sources, some of which are listed here:
Department of State Saint Kitts and Nevis Page
Department of State Key Officers List
CIA World Factbook Saint Kitts and Nevis Page
U.S. Embassy: Barbados and Eastern Caribbean
USAID Saint Kitts and Nevis Page
History of U.S. Relations With Saint Kitts and Nevis
Human Rights Reports
International Religious Freedom Reports
Narcotics Control Reports
Investment Climate Statements
U.S. Census Bureau Foreign Trade Statistics
Library of Congress Country Studies (see Caribbean Islands)
Travel and Business Information
Caribbean Basin Security Initiative