Hamburg born Ernst Martens is the new German Ambassador to Antigua and Barbuda.

Ambassador Martens paid a courtesy call this morning on Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer, prior to presenting his credentials to Governor General Dame Louise Lake Tack. He was accompanied by his wife Christine. In welcoming the new Ambassador, Prime Minister Spencer said he hoped for a strengthening of relations between Antigua and Barbuda and Germany. He invited Ambassador Martens to return to Antigua and Barbuda on a regular basis from his embassy in Port of Spain in order to discuss more fully the issues which affect relations between both countries.

In the discussions between the German Ambassador and the Prime Minister, Mr. Spencer spoke of the possibilities of the German market for the international registry of Antigua and Barbuda and he pointed out that with recent amendments to the Merchant Shipping Act, Antigua and Barbuda was positioning itself to enhance its position in the German market. The Prime Minister stressed that the Antigua and Barbuda flag had been certified by the IMO as one of the leading ship registries in the world.

Both men also discussed issues relating to cooperation in ICT and the prospects for tertiary education opportunities for young Antigua and Barbudans in Germany. Ambassador Martens confirmed that public education at University level was completely free in Germany both for German nationals and for foreign students, and he was confident that ways could be found to have Antigua and Barbuda students access University in Germany.

Ambassador Martens said that he was very impressed with the growth of the Antigua and Barbuda shipping registry and also by the achievements of the yachting sector in Antigua and Barbuda in promoting Antigua and Barbuda as a yachting center despite regional competition.

Further discussions ensued regarding Germany as a tourism market for Antigua and Barbuda and the role of airlift in the development of the market. Prime Minister pointed out that while the German air carrier Lufthansa had a route direct to Antigua and Barbuda, a few years ago, the effort was short lived. PM Spencer stated that further talks were needed to re-establish the route to Antigua.

The Prime Minister recalled the passionate intervention of German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the United Nations round table on Climate Change, which he chaired at the UN Headquarters in New York in September. Ambassador Martens confirmed that Germany’s strong position on sustainable development was well-know and that Germany was also very advanced in the field of environmental technology.

The meeting was also attended by Ambassador Colin Murdoch, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Mr. Derek Biel, the Honorary Consul of Germany in Antigua and Barbuda.