Prime Minister Gaston Browne joined regional leaders in New York for talks with a European Union commissioner after the European Commission called on Eastern Caribbean countries to phase out their citizenship by investment programmes by June 2028.

The meeting with EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner took place Thursday on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, according to a statement from the Saint Lucia government.

Browne and Saint Lucia Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre told the commissioner that the programmes are an important source of development financing for the countries that operate them. They called for continued talks on a transition that addresses EU security concerns while accounting for the region’s economic needs.

Eastern Caribbean Central Bank Governor Timothy Antoine and Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States Director General Didacus Jules were also among the officials at the meeting. The statement did not announce an agreement or a change to the proposed deadline.

This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: PM Browne Meets EU Commissioner as Caribbean Citizenship Programmes Face 2028 Deadline.