The Hon. Darren Henfield, Minister of Foreign Affairs joined his regional counterparts in a US-CARICOM Foreign Minister’s Roundtable via a virtual platform on 21 April 2021. The meeting was hosted by Mr. Antony Blinken, US Secretary of State, and the discussion centered on issues of mutual importance to the US and the Caribbean region. Emphasis was placed on the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impact on the region; highlighting areas for co-operation including security, democracy, human rights and combatting climate change.

During the meeting Minister Henfield welcomed efforts for greater engagement with the region by the US. The Minister also highlighted the long history of close relations between The Bahamas and the US, which goes beyond political and economic ties to include shared cultural and familial connections. In noting the timeliness of such a meeting, Minister Henfield expressed the importance of co-operation in mitigating the spread of the COVID-19 virus which has greatly impacted the health and livelihoods of Bahamians and our neighbours in the region. Most noteworthy, the Minister stressed that “the economic viability of The Bahamas, as a tourism-based economy, largely depends on our ready access to vaccines.”

The importance of regular dialogue between CARICOM and the US was acknowledged by both sides and it was agreed that a mechanism be established to facilitate co-operation and monitor regional developments which will benefit all parties.