A high-level delegation from the Cayman Islands is heading to Washington, DC to build relationships with "stakeholders in agencies in the US Government," according to the Leader of Government Business office.
The press release said that Hon Kurt Tibbetts, the Leader of Government Business, is leading the mission on Monday, 26 March to Wednesday, 28 March, to visit the US capital.
Until May 2005, the Cayman Islands was represented in Washington, DC by one of the top ten lobbying firms, The Livingston Group. Former congressman Robert Livingston founded the Group.
"The Livingston Group was instrumental in ensuring that legislation or regulation which could have been harmful to the Cayman Islands was not implemented," said Jim Pruitt, Chief Operating Officer for the Livingston Group. "We also assisted with the establishment of the Department of Tourism Office in New York."
Prior to leaving the Island, Mr Tibbetts said the visit would assist Cayman's financial services industry.
"This visit affords us a good opportunity to network with potential allies and stakeholders in an effort to build awareness and relationships with US officials as it relates to Cayman's financial services industry," Mr Tibbetts commented.
Accompanying Mr Tibbetts on the networking trip are the Minister responsible for international financial services policy, Hon Alden McLaughlin; Attorney General, Hon Samuel Bulgin; Financial Secretary, Hon Kenneth Jefferson; Deputy Financial Secretary, Deborah Drummond; Cayman Islands Monetary Authority General Counsel, Langston Sibblies and Deputy Managing Director, Patrick Bodden.
Director of Public Relations for the Portfolio of Finance & Economics, Ted Bravakis, will support the delegation.
The agenda for the meetings continues to be finalised, but the delegation is targeting various US agencies including the Senate Committee on Finance, Senate Committee on Banking, House Ways and Means Committee, Department of the Treasury, and the US Trade representative, among other government agencies.
The relationship between the Cayman Islands and the Livingston Group remains healthy. "We were honoured to represent the Cayman Islands and have nothing but positive things to say about the country," said Mr Pruitt.