It is an island state located in the West Indies south of the Grenadines Island chain. This island comprises the island of Grenada, two other islands, namely Carriacou and Petite Martinique, and lots of smaller islands on the north of the main island. It shares a border with Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela, Saint Vincent, and the Grenadines. Situated on a land mass of 348.5 square kilometers, it had a population of roughly 112,523 persons in 2020. The capital city is St. George’s. It is nicknamed the “Island of Spice” because of its large production of nutmeg and mace crops.
if you are interested in knowing about the diplomatic relations of this country, this article provides information on the foreign diplomatic relations of Grenada and other bilateral relations.
About the country of Grenada
It has a small economy where the tourism sector is the major source of foreign exchange. The country faces short-term concerns such as increasing fiscal deficit and deterioration in external account balance. Presently, it shares a common central bank and currency known as the East Caribbean dollar, with seven other member states in the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). In the past, it suffered from massive external debt with government debt service payments at about 25 percent of total revenues in 2017. The country exports tons of different spices, mainly nutmeg, as its top export. Other main exports are bananas, fish, clothing, cocoa, fruit, vegetables, etc. Tourism is the primary economic contributor to the nation. Conventional beach and water-sports tourism is the main focus around St George, the airport, and the coastal strip. Ecotourism is also growing significantly. There are several beaches around its coastline, including Grand Anse Beach known for being one of the world’s best beaches. With its many waterfalls which are popular with tourists, the closest to the capital is the Annandale Waterfalls.
Bilateral relations of the country
This is a Commonwealth territory with Charles III as head of state but represented locally by a governor-general. All executive power lies with the head of government, the prime minister. The prime minister is often the head of the largest party in Parliament. The nation is a participating member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). It and many other counties in the Caribbean region are members of the Commonwealth of Nations. The organization consisting of former British colonies aims at improving international relations among its member states.
Diplomatic relations with other countries
The island nation is one of the 35 states who ratified the OAS charter and is a part of the organization. It joined the Inter-American system in 1975. It signed the Double Taxation Relief (CARICOM) Treaty in 1994, a treaty that covers areas like taxes, capital gains, tax jurisdictions, business profits, dividends, etc. In 2014, it signed a Model 1 agreement with the US regarding the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). The country also became a member of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA) in the same year. The government stated that the membership was a natural extension of the cooperation and relation it has had over the years with both Cuba and Venezuela. Though the nation has no standing military, military functions are carried out by the Royal Grenada Police Force, a Special Service Unit, and the Coast Guard of Grenada. In 2019, the government signed the UN treaty on the Prohibition of nuclear weapons. The US, Venezuela, Cuba, and China all have embassies located within the country. The island has been recognized by members of the UN and has diplomatic missions in the UK, US, Venezuela, and Canada.
