ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, March 11 2015 – The administration of Prime Minister Gaston Browne is entering into the second stage of the negotiations for the handover of the US Base – both land and assets – to the Government of Antigua and Barbuda.
The USA recently announced its intentions to close the base located in the vicinity of the V.C. Bird International Airport.
The entire Cabinet of Antigua and Barbuda, including the Cabinet Secretary and the Chief of Staff, accompanied the Prime Minister to the US Air Base on Tuesday for a tour lasting more than three hours. The visit was intended to allow the decision-makers to get a first-hand assessment of the buildings, the machinery, the water and electrical supply systems, and the 217 acres of land that will become the property of the Antigua and Barbuda Government by late Summer 2015.
The tour of the US Base was led by the Commander of the Base, an Air Force Lieutenant Colonel who was given a one-year contract last October 2014. Officials from the US Embassy, the US State Department and the Washington US Trade Office were present to answer questions, or to convey the concerns of the Antigua and Barbuda Government back to their superiors.
The Prime Minister has already indicated that an assessment will be undertaken to determine the best use to which to put the new asset.
The base was built in 1942, though improvements were continuously made so that very few of the original structures remain. A vast underground water catchment remains in working condition, and more than five megawatts of power can be generated by machines, so that the base supplies its own water and electricity. Some 80 Antiguans are employed there.
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