(BIS)- It is necessary for The Bahamas to maintain diplomatic relations with the Republic of Cuba and the Republic of Haiti , says the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Public Service, the Hon. Fred Mitchell.joined together by geography and so we have no choice but to know each other.”
“The relationship with Cuba and Haiti is similar to the relationship that we must have, by necessity, with the United States,” he said recently. “We are joined together by geography and so we have no choice but to know each other.”
Mitchell recalled the tragic incident in 1980, when four Bahamas Defense Force Marines were killed when Cuban military sank the HMBS Flamingo. “We simply had no relationship with our neighbors next door. We had to use Jamaica in order to get contact with people who were an hour and a half away from us,” he said. The Cuban Government revealed last year that about 20,000 visas were issued to Bahamians to travel to Cuba. A number of Bahamians travel to Cuba for medical care and are enrolled in educational institutions.
“So wherever Bahamians are in large numbers we need to have some political or consular services available to them,” Mitchell said. He said Haiti is about 90 miles from The Bahamas, so it’s in our best interest to have good relations with them. “We have to work out all the issues, which we have to deal with,” Mr. Mitchell said. He referred to the coming elections in Haiti to replace the interim government established following the uprising that forced President Jean-Bertrand Aristide from office in February, 2004.
Added Mitchell, “There is the practical necessity of having to have good relations with Haiti because the migrants have to go back home and have to be accepted by the government that’s in power.” There are the implications of the domestic politics of Haiti with the departure of President Jean Bertrand Aristide and the interim administration and its relationship to our CARICOM partners.
CARICOM has certain principles, which you have to adhere to contained in the Civil Society Charter and they have to do with democratic governance and this applies to every member of CARICOM.
“We are going to face the issue again shortly with Suriname because the former dictator is running in elections soon and it is being said that he may win. The question is, whether this man who is wanted for criminal behavior is going to be someone that we are looking to support as head of state.” Mr. Mitchell said the issues involving Haiti are complex, hence, the only demand of CARICOM is that the country conducts free and fair elections. He said this means that all political parties must be able to participate, and security must be in place during the exercise.
“That’s not onerous. We have said that all of the economic systems which they deserve and which they promised must be delivered,” said Mr. Mitchell. The Foreign Affairs Minister also commented on the growing bilateral relations between The Bahamas and the People’s Republic of China, despite its dispute with Taiwan. He noted that China is considered an economic giant and that recent economic analysis shows that in the year 2020, China and India would be the two economies competing with the United States for supremacy.
“China has a significant outreach to us, India has also made some overtures and we have responded in kind,” Mr. Mitchell said. “There is likely to be improved trade ties with both countries. Trade with China has increased significantly in the eight years that we have had diplomatic relations.” With regard to Taiwan (the Republic of China), Mr. Mitchell said The Bahamas Government has supported the one-China policy, but does not support the settling of its dispute with the People’s Republic of China by force. “We go as far as saying there should be one country. That’s as far as we could go. The Bahamas and its foreign policy have to be careful how it advocates use of state force in circumstances such as that. We’ve made that position clear,” Mr. Mitchell said.
