GROS ISLET, St. Lucia -- The Hon. Darren A. Henfield, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, received His Excellency Anton Ojala, High Commissioner-designate of New Zealand to The Commonwealth of The Bahamas and High Commissioner to Member-States of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), in a bilateral meeting on Gros Islet, Saint Lucia, on Wednesday, 3 July 2019, on the margins of the 40th Conference of Heads of Government. The two dignitaries addressed issues of common interest, including, among them, climate change, education, tourism, cruise ship industry, maritime and financial matters.

The Minister raised the candidacy of The Bahamas for a seat on the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the recent presentation of Letters to the New Zealand Government by H.E. Mark Holowesko, non-resident High Commissioner of The Bahamas. The Minister applauded the leadership of the New Zealand Prime Minister in the face of the tragic mass shooting in Christchurch earlier in March this year. The High Commissioner-designate thanked the Minister for the expression of condolences and related the gun reform measures taken subsequently. He also took the opportunity to promote the Carbon Neutral Coalition initiative on greenhouse gases and climate resilience.

The High Commissioner-designate will present his Letters to the new Governor General in the next several weeks.

Also accompanying the Minister were Ambassador Joshua Sears, Senior Policy Adviser in the Office of the Prime Minister, and Mr. Eugene Torchon-Newry, Acting Under Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ms. Ruth Delany, Deputy High Commissioner of New Zealand in Barbados, accompanied her Head of Mission.