Address by
The
Honourable Fred Mitchell
Minister of Foreign Affairs & The Public Service
ANNUAL HONORARY CONSULAR CORPS LUNCHEON
British
Colonial Hilton Hotel
Nassau, Bahamas
Thursday, 2nd December 2004
Dean
of the Honorary Consular Corps;
Members of the Diplomatic, Consular and Honorary Consular Corps;
Distinguished Guests;
Ladies and Gentlemen:
This
event is without doubt one of the stellar occasions of the diplomatic
year in The Bahamas and I am delighted to be able to join you.
I have – all year – regretted my unavoidable absence at this
time last year due to other pressing official duties.
In the annals of Bahamian diplomacy, 2004 should be remembered as
the year when the full resources of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were
aggressively employed in seeking to improve the climate for the
country’s trade and economic relations at home and abroad.
The
Bahamas has made its presence felt on the international stage at each
and every level where our national interests are in play.
Among
the diplomatic events of major significance this year was the official
visit to the People’s Republic of China by the Prime Minister, in
August, last. Talks centred
generally around the strengthening of bilateral relations between the
two countries, with focus on technical assistance and cooperation, trade
and investment opportunities, the continued development of formal
diplomatic ties and the formalisation of cultural exchanges; indeed, a
cultural agreement between the two countries was signed at that time.
After
some significant negotiations, the Chinese Government agreed to the gift
of a national stadium with 15,000 seats, designed with a capacity to
expand to 30,000 seats. The
stadium is expected to be magnificent in both appearance and in
function.
In
many respects, 2004 has marked the beginning of a new era of important
exchanges between China and The Bahamas.
In April, the Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce led a delegation
of Government officials and entrepreneurs, to The Bahamas engaging in
extensive discussions covering technical assistance and cooperation as
well as bilateral trade relations.
In business and commerce, the level of contact
between Chinese and Bahamian businessmen has exceeded all expectations.
And we expect the positive business linkages will continue to
develop between our two commercial sectors, thus contributing to the
growth of investment and trade between both our countries.
Plans to establish an embassy in Beijing have been accelerated
now that The Bahamas Consulate General in Hong Kong officially closed on
15th October this year.
Throughout the year, The Bahamas has worked
diligently to engage the small list of nations throughout the world with
whom we have had no diplomatic relations.
In the interest of broadening the ability of Bahamians to travel
and do business anywhere without hindrance, we have established
diplomatic relations with the Russian Federation, the Slovak Republic,
Poland, the Republic of Slovenia and the Republic of Malta.
It is our intention that a Bahamian passport will be favourably
recognised in the farthest reaches of the planet.
Perhaps the most memorable and pervasive events
of 2004 were Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne, which significantly affected
the work and perspective of the conduct of foreign relations. In
Trinidad, I represented the Prime Minister at an emergency CARICOM Heads
meeting to discuss the terrible effects of the hurricanes on the region.
Again, representing the Prime Minister at the United Nations
General Assembly, I cautioned nations about the effects of pollution in
making hurricanes ever more lethal and devastating.
Also
while addressing the plenary session of the United Nations, we pointed
out the difficulty of travelling from place to place in the world since
the events of 11th September, 2001.
We called on nations to stop transshipping nuclear waste through
the Caribbean Sea, putting The Bahamas and others at risk and we
appealed for countries to trace and control the illegal handguns and
automatic weapons that often seep through our borders as part of the
illegal trade in drugs.
Each
of the initiatives I have described up to now inputs directly to
maintaining or improving the climate for positive trade and economic
relations at home and abroad. Indeed,
while working diligently on this front, the country, of necessity,
continued to deal with the deleterious after effects of the near ruinous
initiatives of leading nations within the Organisation for Economic
Co-operation and Development, which targeted our financial services
sector. Major foreign
relations resources of The Bahamas continue to be engaged in combatting
this singular and unrelenting focus on crippling the developing offshore
financial centres of the Caribbean of which The Bahamas is one.
In
this regard, you an expect can increasingly aggressive position with
regard to countries who in our view have engaged in what The Bahamas
described at the United Nations as unfriendly acts.
We have made representations in particular to the Government of
France as to why The Bahamas continues to receive attention that has
been less than favourable when all the signs from this country are
positive toward France. Nowhere
is our level of discomfort greater than the role of France in the
Financial Action Task Force and in the continued refusal of France and
European countries generally to address the issue of the granting of
Schengen visas in this country to Bahamians or waiving those visas all
together as we do for their citizens.
The
Bahamas’ prime international relationship with our friends and
neighbours the United States, continued in growth and fraternal strength
during 2004. The new U.S.
Ambassador, His Excellency John D. Rood and I have already established a
cordial working relationship. Contrary to what is often said, it does
make a difference when you actually have a working ambassador on the
ground to look after the affairs of his country but is sensitive to the
ambience of the host country. We thank the United States and Ambassador Rood for their
assistance in the aftermath of hurricanes Jeanne and Frances.
Indeed, we extend thanks to all the countries that have assisted
The Bahamas during these challenges.
It is a long list, but includes countries in the region like
Trinidad and Tobago and of course our neighbour to the south the Turks
and Caicos Islands.
The
Bahamas continues to receive invaluable assistance from the United
States of America in curtailing drug trafficking, migrant smuggling and
unsafe transport of migrants by sea.
Earlier this year, The Bahamas and the United States signed a
Comprehensive Maritime Agreement, which has proven to be an essential
tool in the ongoing war against drug trafficking, illegal migration and
terrorism. Also this year, The Bahamas and the United States, together
with the United Kingdom have reached a reciprocal agreement that will
allow Work Permits for Spouses of Diplomats during the period of their
diplomatic posting.
I
am happy to report this year that our Ministry has posted its Treaty
Register in electronic form on our web site at www.mfabahamas.org
As with most countries, this document remains a work in progress
and will be continuously updated as information comes to the
Ministry’s attention and as the Government adheres to additional
international instruments.
The year since your last annual Christmas
luncheon has brought changes among your number.
Regrettably, after only sixteen months in post, we said farewell
to Ambassador Jiao Dongcun of the People’s Republic of China.
During his stay here, Ambassador Jiao fostered a deeper
understanding among Bahamians of the culture of China and her history.
In other movements on the diplomatic front, we
were pleased to receive visits from the Ambassadors from Colombia,
Chile, Japan and Sweden, and the High Commissioners from South Africa
and Canada. In addition,
The Bahamas received Letters of Credence for the accreditation of
Ambassadors from Iceland, Belgium, Israel, Morocco, and Indonesia.
Letters of Commission were received from the Nigerian High
Commissioner and Letters of Introduction were received from the new
Australian High Commissioner.
At the
regional level, the situation in Haiti has been a major focus for The
Bahamas and CARICOM this year. The
year began with promise as Haiti celebrated two hundred years of
independence, but the situation, deteriorated quickly thereafter.
Now, Haiti struggles for stability after the forced resignation
of its democratically elected government, battered like many of its
neighbours by hurricanes and dependent on the goodwill assistance from
the international community. The
interim Administration of Haiti remains unable to sit in the Councils of
CARICOM.
The
Bahamas remains bilaterally engaged with Haiti and despite the
instability in that country, we have successfully prevented the mass
inflows of migrants that some had predicted.
Toward deepening this effort, the Government has partnered with
the International Organisation for Migration, which is providing
technical expertise to evaluate our country’s current migration
organisation, border controls and management.
Elsewhere in the region, development has occurred
with the Dominican Republic. We
have agreed that talks should begin on a resolution of the illegal
fishing by Dominicans in Bahamian waters.
It was agreed that this could best be done within the ambit of a
comprehensive maritime boundary delimitation agreement.
Steps have been taken to speed up the issuance of Bahamian visas
to citizen of the Dominican Republic who wish to visit The Bahamas, and
with the Inauguration of Bahamasair flights to Santo Domingo, it is
anticipated that increased trade will take place between The Bahamas and
the Dominican Republic.
Cordial and correct relations continue with Cuba.
His Excellency Carlton Wright, Under Secretary in the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, after a distinguished record of performance in the
foreign and public service, has been appointed Ambassador to Cuba.
Ambassador Wright is expected to take up his post In Cuba during
the first quarter of 2005.
Cuba
celebrated her 30th Anniversary of diplomatic relations with
The Bahamas on Tuesday, 30th November 2004 and we welcomed
His Excellency Rafael Dausa, the Cuban Deputy Minister of Foreign
Affairs for the Western Hemisphere for this special event.
Within
the Commonwealth, The Bahamas this year has continued the development of
a warm and close relationship with the republic of South Africa. It was
almost one year ago that President Thabo Mbeki made a state visit to The
Bahamas. In April, I
represented The Bahamas at the inauguration in Pretoria of President
Mbeki of South Africa and the 10th Anniversary Celebrations of that
country. The following day,
Dr. Nkosasana Zuma, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South
Africa, and I signed a Bilateral Cooperation Agreement, fostering
cultural, social, political, economic, touristic and educational
relations.
Next
year, you can expect an official visit to India, Bangladesh and Sri
Lanka in connection with The Bahamas’ role as the Caricom
representative on the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group.
As
regards the Commonwealth generally and the United Kingdom specifically,
our relations remain strong and stable. I wish to thank the High
Commissioner from the United Kingdom to The Bahamas Rod Gemmell for his
good work here, and his valuable assistance that has helped us wade
through many thorny problems. As
regards Canada, the relationship is also good.
Outgoing Foreign Minister Bill Graham and I had a good working
relationship. The new
Foreign Minister and I have an equally good relationship.
The new Prime Minister has spoken to our Prime Minister over the
matter of Haiti. Our only
issue remains the complaints by students about the lack of timeliness of
the issuances of visas to study in Canada.
In
September, the 24th Meeting of the Commonwealth Ministerial
Action Group on the Harare Declaration (CMAG) convened in the margins of
the 59th United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The Group elected the Foreign Minister of The Bahamas as its
Vice-Chairman.
I want to say also that the Government of The
Bahamas has appointed an honorary consul to Jamaica. The formalities of that appointment should soon be complete
and I am happy that Keva Major Hylton has agreed to work on our behalf
there. We expect that
shortly honorary consuls will be appointed in Trinidad and Tobago,
Belize, Atlanta, and Los Angeles. We
are also encouraging countries who do not have resident Ambassadors to
appoint honorary consuls. Our
view is that they perform a valuable work for and on behalf of their
countries. Your ranks
increased during the year with the appointment of the Rev. Fr. Sebastian
Campbell as the Honorary Consul for Belize in The Bahamas.
No address of this moment would be complete without
the sincere thanks and gratitude of myself as Minister, the Government
and the people of The Bahamas for the truly outstanding work performed
during 2004 by the staff at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The public profile of The Bahamas in international relations has
increased exponentially in recent years.
In many cases, this has also meant an exponential increase in the
work done in the line of duty. Our
gracious and indefatigable Permanent Secretary, her Undersecretaries and
their knowledgeable and proficient support staff, together with this
country’s diplomats and staff overseas have all done a truly
tremendous job this year. They
have turned in a truly world-class performance for The Bahamas on the
world stage.
In
concluding, I thank you for the opportunity to address you, and I extend
to you and your families best wishes for happy holidays and a prosperous
New Year.
Thank
You.
|
