Antigua and Barbuda is seeking technical assistance from Spain to advance its plans to establish Spanish as the country's second official language, according to Antigua News Room, which reported on the announcement made during Thursday's post-Cabinet media briefing.
Director General of Communications Maurice Merchant told reporters that Cabinet received an update on recent discussions between Prime Minister Gaston Browne and Spain's ambassador to Jamaica, focused on expanding cooperation in language education and cultural exchange.
Spain has expressed willingness to support the initiative through the provision of lecturers, teaching materials, teacher-training programmes, software and other educational tools aimed at strengthening Spanish-language instruction across Antigua and Barbuda, Merchant said.
The initiative forms part of the government's broader strategy to deepen engagement with Latin America and position citizens to benefit from opportunities in tourism, trade and international business. Discussions also covered specialised language training for workers in tourism, hospitality, airport services, seaport operations, security and customs.
Cabinet was further informed of proposals to establish a Spanish Language and Cultural Institute in Antigua and Barbuda. The facility would function as a centre for language instruction, cultural exchange and educational cooperation between the two countries.
Other areas under consideration include student exchange programmes, opportunities for Antiguan and Barbudan teachers to travel to Spain to teach English, and scholarship programmes designed to build national capacity in language education.
Merchant noted that several senior government officials are already fluent Spanish speakers, including Foreign Affairs Minister E.P. Chet Greene, Cabinet Secretary Maria Browne and Sports Minister Dwayne George.
Cabinet views the initiative as an important step toward improving language proficiency and expanding opportunities for citizens in an increasingly interconnected region. The government believes greater Spanish-language competency will strengthen Antigua and Barbuda's competitiveness in tourism, commerce, diplomacy and regional integration.
Cabinet welcomed the discussions and expressed support for continued engagement with Spain and other international partners as the initiative moves forward.
