by STAFF WRITER
December 17, 2021
KINGSTON, Jamaica, Dec 17, CMC – The Jamaica government Friday expressed “shock and regret” at the sudden death of the German ambassador to the island, Dr. Stefan Keil on Thursday
“The Ambassador, who presented Credentials to the Governor-General of Jamaica in August, 2021, was keen on working to further strengthen the bilateral relations between Jamaica and Germany,” Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister, Kamina Johnson Smith, said in a statement.
“During my meeting with Ambassador Keil in August, we spoke of working together on areas of mutual interest at the bilateral and multilateral levels. It was heartening that he was cognizant of the special challenges faced by Small Island Developing States like Jamaica,” she added.
The Gleaner newspaper reported that the 63-year-old German diplomat died at hospital on Thursday after he had fallen ill earlier.”
Ambassador Keil was also accredited as Permanent Representative of Germany to the International Seabed Authority (ISA), and actively participated in the meetings of the 26th Session of the ISA Council and Assembly which ended earlier this week.
“Germany has lost an experienced diplomat, who had only just begun his tenure in Jamaica. On behalf of the Government of Jamaica and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, I extend sincere condolences to the Ambassador’s family, the staff at the German Embassy in Kingston and to his colleague members of the diplomatic corps,” Johnson-Smith added.
CMC/ad/ir/2021
