(Washington, DC, January 12, 2005)—Delegate to Congress Donna M. Christensen will be joining a delegation of Congressional members on a trip to Antigua and the Dominican Republic to meet with government and business leaders in the region.  The trip, to discuss ways in which Government and Privates Sector can engage in joint programs towards economic development and poverty alleviation for the region, will begin on Wednesday January 12the 2004 and end on Sunday January 16, 2005. 

As a founding member of the Congressional Caribbean Caucus, Delegate Christensen was invited along with a bi-partisan group of members of the United States Congressional Caribbean Caucus and key business leaders from the Caribbean and South Florida.

“As the only member of Congress from the “English speaking” Caribbean, I look forward once again for the opportunity to meet with our neighboring Caribbean leaders. It is important because so many of my own constituents are natives of their countries and as a part of the region, so much of what affects their countries impacts the Virgin Islands,” Christensen said. 

The delegation will kick-off the trip with a meeting with Dominican Republic President Leonel Fernandez on Thursday Morning and concluded with a similar meeting on Saturday with Antiguan Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer.  Christensen will be back in Washington for President Bush’s second inauguration next week.