Jamaica marked a historic milestone on October 7, 1964, when Prime Minister the Rt Hon Sir Alexander Bustamante and Baron Mullenheim-Rechberg, ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, signed the nation’s first bilateral agreement since Independence. The pact grants Deutsche Lufthansa A.G. rights to operate air services between Jamaica and West Germany, beginning in early 1965. Officials hailed the agreement as a major step in strengthening ties, fostering tourism, and bringing the two countries closer together through greater cooperation and exchange.

Published Thursday, October 8, 1964

Pact for Lufthansa service signed

An agreement allowing the Deutsche Lufthansa A.G. to operate an air service between Jamaica and Western Germany was signed yesterday morning at the Prime Minister's Office.
Signing on behalf of the Government of Jamaica was Prime Minister the Rt Hon Sir Alexander Bustamante and, on behalf of Germany, the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, Baron Mullenheim-Rechberg.

Early 1965
The service, which is expected to start early next year, will operate twice weekly via New York–Kingston and/or Montego Bay–Guayaquil or Quito–Lima–La Paz–Santiago de Chile.
The agreement will be for an initial period of two years or until such time as a formal Air Transport Agreement has been concluded. The Government of the Federal Republic of Germany has agreed to grant equivalent traffic rights to any Jamaican airline designated by the Government of Jamaica.

Baron Mullenheim-Rechberg told the prime minister that he considered the establishment of the air service a major step ahead in bringing the two countries closer together. He expressed confidence that a good number of useful exchanges would come about as a result of the new service. He said that operations had been hoped to begin this year but there was some delay in straightening out certain matters elsewhere. The ambassador also expressed the hope that the service would lead to an increase in the number of tourists coming to the island and to a visit to Germany by the prime minister and Lady Bustamante.

‘Closer together’
Sir Alexander, in his reply, also expressed the hope that the signing of such an agreement would bring the two countries closer together with more understanding and love. The Minister of Communications and Works, Hon Kenneth Jones, noted that this was the first bilateral agreement that the country had entered into since its independence, with the Federal Republic of Germany.
Others present at the signing were the Hon Victor Grant; the permanent secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office, C. H. Dinroe; the permanent secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, James Lloyd; and the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Communications and Works, O. H. Goldson.
 

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