BAHAMAS AT PETROCARIBE SUMMIT - Minister of Foreign Affairs & The Public Service, the Honourable Fred Mitchell represented The Bahamas as Head of Delegation at a Caribbean Energy Summit in Montego Bay, Jamaica, 4-6 September, 2005.  Heads of Government from the Caribbean, including the Caricom countries and Venezuela, Cuba, the Dominican Republic met to discuss Venezuela’s 'PetroCaribe' initiative.  The Bahamas delegation also included Minister of Works & Utilities, the Hon. Bradley B. Roberts and Minister for Trade & Industry, the Hon. Leslie Miller along with technical representatives of The Bahamas Government.  Minister Mitchell addressed the Summit on 6^th September.


STATEMENT BY THE HON. FRED MITCHELL
MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS & THE PUBLIC SERVICE
HEAD OF DELEGATION
COMMONWEALTH OF THE BAHAMAS

6^th September 2005  

Mr. Chairman, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen.  It is an honour to be in Montego Bay, Jamaica as head of this delegation to the PetroCaribe Summit. I bring you greetings on behalf of the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, the Rt. Hon. Perry Christie who is unable to be with us this morning.  He has asked me to extend fraternal greetings to all his fellow heads but particularly to our esteemed host the distinguished Prime Minister of Jamaica the Most Excellent P.J. Patterson and to wish them all well in this conference. 

Today’s summit brings together distinguished Heads of Government from a very special region in the world, the Caribbean region.  We all share its wondrous beauty and its pristine environment.  We are all a transplanted people, who have forged a living and civilization out of the hard knocks of slavery and oppression.  Yet today, it can be said that we have overcome all of that to the point where we are all able to chart are own destinies.  

The PetroCaribe Initiative is clearly part of the process of the sovereign nations of the region seeking to chart their own course.  It is an extension of that new generation of leaders in the region bordered by the Caribbean sea that believes that we must all share in the resources of the region and we have a responsibility to protect them; that it is important for those who are blessed in one way to share that blessing with others, and that those who have must share with those who do not have. 

This may be inexplicable to some, but the spirit of altruism and man’s obligation of humanity to other human beings must triumph over the spirit of personal and national gain to the exclusion and at the expense of other peoples and nations.  

The Bahamas is at one with that sentiment, both that of individual nation states charting their own courses given their individual geographies and histories as well as the spirit of humanity and generosity which has brought us all here. 

In this regard therefore, we wish to applaud the efforts of the Government and people of Venezuela and President of Venezuela for this gesture of humanity, and for the efforts to make a real attempt to lend a helping hand to those in the region who are less fortunate.  

The Bahamas is at present studying the full parameters of the initiative and will in due course determine what steps it will take in this matter.  Our Prime Minister insisted on a full delegation at both a political and technical level. Traveling with me are two Ministers of the Government including our Minister responsible, for Petroleum and energy policy the Hon. Leslie Miller and the Minister responsible for the Bahamas Electricity Corporation, the Hon. Bradley Roberts.  We have found the exchange of views with the Venezuelan delegation to be both frank and informative, forthcoming and interesting. This is deeply appreciated by our delegation.   

Our public policy on this issue is driven by the need to contain the prices of fuel for the ground transportation and the development needs of the country and to contain the price of electrical power which is a significant factor in the production of our gross domestic product. We are committed to seeking to do what is in the best interest of the Bahamian people and our economy. 

I wish then to thank the Venezuelan Government for heading this initiative, and our hosts the Government and people of Jamaica with whom we have close fraternal ties for the excellent arrangements which they have made for our stay in Jamaica.  There is no question that The Bahamas believes that this is a serious initiative and we will proceed give it our most serious consideration. 

Thank you Mr. Chairman.