BRIDGETOWN - Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda Baldwin Spencer, has welcomed as "a great victory for the country" the World Trade Organisation's ruling against the United States of America's objections to cross-border Internet gambling from that Leeward Island state.

Spencer, who became prime minister following last week's general election that ended 27 years of consecutive governments by the now opposition Antigua Labour Party (ALP), praised "the commendable work" done in the WTO hearings by Sir Ronald Sanders, who until last week was the country's ambassador to the WTO and high commissioner to the United Kingdom.

Antigua and Barbuda, under the Bird administration, had challenged the ban by the USA on Internet gambling services.

The Caribbean island submitted that the US prohibition was a violation of the WTO's rules governing free trade and services, and that such a ban was "severely injurious" to the economic welfare of Antigua and Barbuda

The WTO's ruling against the USA came on March 24, the day after the electoral defeat of the ALP administration that Sanders had served for more than 10 years in various capacities. He, however, handed in his resignation immediately after the defeat of the ALP.

The prime minister said, however, that he was in contact with Sanders and would be meeting with him shortly to discuss "the possibility of a new working relationship with my government, given his recognised expertise".

In the meantime, Spencer said he was aware of the decision by the US to appeal the WTO's decision on Internet gambling.

The US Congress has been attempting, for some years now, to ban Internet gambling and prohibit its citizens from participating in "on-line" gambling casinos, one of the biggest of which exists in Antigua.

Sanders, who led Antigua and Barbuda's case before the WTO dispute settlement panel, said the US was guilty of unfair trade practice as the ban on Internet gambling violated US services commitments made in the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).

A technological 'stride' for exercise equipment

Get a flatter belly in just 20 minutes

Great guitar made easy