Foreign Affairs Minister E.P. Chet Greene defended the government’s negotiations with the United States over the possible transfer of third-country nationals on Tuesday, telling Parliament that Antigua and Barbuda engaged Washington to protect its sovereignty rather than surrender it.
Contributing to debate on a government resolution outlining the principles that will guide any future agreement, Greene said the administration had a responsibility to listen to the U.S. proposal before deciding whether it served the country’s interests.
“We engage because responsible governments do,” Greene said. “They do not make important decisions in ignorance. They do not refuse to listen before they know what is being proposed. And they do not confuse engagement with agreement.”
The foreign minister said the issue extended far beyond immigration policy, describing it as a test of how a small independent state responds when a powerful ally presents proposals that raise questions about sovereignty, national security and the country’s future.
“This debate is not simply about immigration. Neither is it about the United States of America. It’s about something fundamentally much bigger. It’s about how Antigua and Barbuda, as a small independent nation, responds when a close and powerful neighbour and friend asks something that raises serious questions for our own sovereignty, our laws, our security and our future,” Greene said.
Greene urged lawmakers to treat the matter as a national issue rather than a partisan one, arguing that questions involving sovereignty and foreign policy transcend political parties.
“When questions arise that touch the sovereignty of our country, our immigration policy, international obligations and the welfare of our people, our first duty is not to any political party. It must be to Antigua and Barbuda,” he said.
The minister said Antigua and Barbuda remained a sovereign nation regardless of its size and rejected any suggestion that the country had compromised its independence through negotiations.
“We are a sovereign nation,” Greene declared. “Small in size, equal in dignity. Our flag carries exactly the same worth and legal standing in the community of nations as does the flag of any larger state.”
At the same time, Greene acknowledged the realities facing small states, saying governments must recognize differences in economic and political influence while carefully protecting national interests.
“The responsibility of government is not to complain about that reality. It is to navigate it wisely,” he said. “That means protecting our sovereignty without isolating ourselves, maintaining our friendships without compromising our principles, working with our partners without surrendering our judgment.”
Greene rejected criticism that the government should have publicly dismissed the U.S. proposal from the outset, arguing that diplomacy is conducted through negotiations rather than political rhetoric.
“Leadership is not measured by how loudly a government speaks. It is measured by how well it protects the interests of its people,” he said.
“We listened, we examined every proposal, we took legal advice, we consulted officials, we assessed the implications, and when we concluded that important parts of the proposal were not in Antigua and Barbuda’s best interest, we simply rejected them.”
Greene said the government negotiated under five non-negotiable principles that remained unchanged throughout discussions with the United States. Those principles included rejecting any standing transfer programme, preserving Antigua and Barbuda’s sovereign discretion over every proposed case, protecting the country from legal, financial and security risks, ensuring taxpayers would not bear the cost of another country’s immigration policy, and requiring reciprocal benefits from any arrangement.
He also sought to dispel what he described as misconceptions surrounding the memorandum of understanding signed with the United States in December 2025.
“The memorandum did not commit Antigua and Barbuda to receive a single person. It did not establish a programme. It did not create a legal obligation,” Greene said, stressing that the document is non-binding and preserves the country’s right to decide each case individually.
According to Greene, the government rejected the original U.S. operating procedures because they failed to satisfy the principles established by Cabinet. He said the proposals contemplated transfers of individuals under expedited removal procedures, allowed for up to 10 transfers each month and did not adequately resolve questions surrounding legal liability or financial responsibility.
Rather than ending discussions, Greene said the government submitted its own counterproposals, insisting on stronger protections for Antigua and Barbuda.
“We did not simply criticise. We did not simply complain. We put forward our own proposals,” he said. “We said instead, if this matter is to go any further, these are the conditions that must protect Antigua and Barbuda.”
The foreign minister praised Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States, Sir Ronald Sanders, for leading negotiations in Washington under the direction of Prime Minister Gaston Browne.
Greene said Sanders carefully reviewed each proposal, identified legal and security concerns and consistently defended Antigua and Barbuda’s interests during discussions with senior U.S. officials.
“He did not yield where the national interest required firmness,” Greene said.
Greene outlined several changes the government demanded during negotiations, including limiting consideration to individuals with final removal orders, excluding persons with criminal records other than immigration offences, barring unaccompanied minors and applicants with pending asylum claims, requiring complete documentation before any decision, and ensuring the United States assumes all financial obligations in writing before any transfer occurs.
He said the government also rejected a U.S. proposal that contemplated up to 10 transfers each month. Instead, Antigua and Barbuda proposed that no more than 10 individuals be considered during the entire 2026 calendar year, with any continuation subject to a full review.
Greene said those changes demonstrated that the government had negotiated from a position of principle rather than capitulation.
“We changed the framework. We set safeguards. We narrowed the categories. We reduced the numbers. We insisted upon complete information. We insisted upon complete funding,” he said. “That is not capitulation. That is negotiation. That is the essence, the true form, of diplomacy.”
Concluding his remarks, Greene said Antigua and Barbuda values its longstanding relationship with the United States but would never compromise its sovereignty.
“Antigua and Barbuda’s sovereignty is not negotiable. It never has been. It never will be,” he said. “Our friendships are valuable and will be cherished, but genuine friendship is built on mutual respect.”
This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: FM Greene: Antigua Engaged US to Protect Sovereignty, Not Surrender It.