St Helena : FCO DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF OVERSEAS TERRITORIES CONCLUDES ST HELENA VISIT
Submitted by Saint Helena Herald (Public Relations Information Office) 20.10.2012 (Article Archived on 03.11.2012)
Dr Martin Longden, Deputy Director of the Overseas Territories Department at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, departed for Cape Town last Friday, 12 October, after an intensive programme which began a week earlier on Thursday 4 October.
FCO DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF OVERSEAS TERRITORIES CONCLUDES ST HELENA VISIT
Dr Martin Longden, Deputy Director of the Overseas Territories Department at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, departed for Cape Town last Friday, 12 October, after an intensive programme which began a week earlier on Thursday 4 October.
As well as holding discussions with Councillors and officials Martin met many other people, from all walks of life, to gain the best possible understanding of what makes St Helena tick and to find out what is important to Saints. At the end of his visit he said:
“I am genuinely sorry to be leaving St Helena. Though it has been a busy week of calls, I have had such a warm welcome from everyone I have met; it has been a pleasure from start to finish.
“I leave the island with the strong conviction that St Helena has a great future ahead of it. There will be big changes ahead, and with that will come big challenges. No one should take success for granted: it will at times be tough. But Saints are an industrious, intelligent and innovative people and they are well placed to capitalise on the opportunities coming their way – if we pull together in the right direction and start preparing now.
“I am particularly glad that, as we face the most exciting period in St Helena’s long history, we have a Governor on Island of the calibre of Mark Capes. He is an energetic advocate for the people of St Helena, and both we in London and you here are very lucky to have him.”
SHG
15 October 2012
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