Haitian and Bahamian officials today resume high-level talks aimed at ironing out problems related to illegal immigration, drug trafficking, and other matters of mutual concern to both countries.
Fred Mitchell, Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Public Service, welcomed the 11-member Haitian delegation, headed by Haitian Foreign Minister Philippe Antonio, to continue talks begun in Port -au- Prince, Haiti in July.
In welcoming the delegation, Mitchell said: “It has been a very proud week for The Bahamas in foreign affairs matters.”
He said The Bahamas is “once again seen to be in the forefront of the fight against drug trafficking.”
Mitchell’s comments come on the heels of an announcement in Miami, Florida, late Monday that Bahamian and American law enforcement agencies had smashed a huge drug smuggling ring, which included six Bahamians. The Baamians were charged in court on Monday. They all face extradition to the United States on cocaine smuggling charges.
Mitchell recently walked out of a meeting with American Ambassador Richard Blankenship after the envoy launched an attack on the Bahamas’ efforts in the drug fight. Mitchell saw the ambassador’s remarks as an assault on the sovereignty of The Bahamas.
There was widespread speculation that relations between the two countries had cooled in the wake of Blankenship’s remarks.
Mitchell warmly greeted his Haitian counter-part in the VIP lounge at the Nassau International Airport. The two exchanged greeting at a brief press conference- fielding no questions- before heading off to a meeting with Prime Minister Perry Christie at the Churchill Building.
Mitchell will be joined in the two-day negotiations by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security, Cynthia Pratt, and Labour and Immigration Minister Vincent Peet.
High on the agenda will be the number of illegal immigrants who continue to flood into The Bahamas on rickety boats, risking life and limb to flee grinding poverty in Haiti.
The talks also come amidst a back-drop of growing political instability in Haiti, visited last month by Mitchell and a high-level Bahamian delegation. These talks were scheduled originally for Nov. 21-22, but political troubles in Haiti saw them suspended to this week.
While it is expected that issues such as trade and sporting and cultural exchanges between the two countries would be discussed, the primary focus of the talks will be illegal immigration from Haiti to The Bahamas, and what might be done to address this vexing problem.
In the past the Bahamian government had called on the Haitian government to do more to stem the flow from the source. The delegation, a source said, would stress the enormous social and economic cost to The Bahamas of an ever-growing tide of illegal immigration.
It is understood that Mitchell, seen as a hard-nosed negotiator, will put the government’s case in forceful, but respectful terms. He is said to be very passionate about finding a solution to a problem that has eluded past governments.
It is estimated that there are thousands of Haitians residing illegally in the Bahamas, with a heavy concentration in New Providence, Abaco, Grand Bahama and several other Family Islands.
Although Mitchell did not disclose the agenda, he hinted at the possibility that apart from illegal immigration, drug trafficking through Haiti and The Bahamas was also a hot topic.
Authorities are worried at what appears to be a growing Haitian involvement in the smuggling of Colombian cocaine into the United States. Rene Magloire, coordinator of the National Committee for the Fight against Drug Trafficking is said to be a key member of the Haitian delegation in this regard.
Mitchell beamed as he said how proud he was of the efforts of The Bahamas in the fight against drug trafficking. He added:
“Our country is justifiably proud in the work of our law enforcement officers.”
Minister Antonio, speaking through an interpreter, brought greetings on behalf of the President Jean Bertrand Aristide, and the people of Haiti. He noted Minister Mitchell’s concern about drug trafficking, adding that the delegation was composed of persons who were particularly interested in this area.
“We feel that we are going to open a new chapter in our negotiations now,” he said.
Mark Symonette, The Nassau Guardian
