The larger states always had a sense of manifest destiny based on the assumption that they could achieve their socioeconomic goals on their own. History has proven otherwise to date, but suffice it to say, this has never been the case in the OECS.
Even though they opted for independence as single states, the OECS countries have deliberately established a network of vital institutions such as the regional court and the currency and central banking arrangements, which even preceded similar institutions in the European Union, the oldest and most advanced integration arrangement in the international system.