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 co-operation, 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 co-operation 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 and assistance of 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.