The recent Bilateral Talks between Bahamian and Dominican Republic Ministerial officials concluded with positive linkages being made over the course of the four-day visit.
“Our delegation is pleased with the quality of the response which we got here in the Dominican Republic,” Bahamian Delegation leader and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration the Hon. Frederick A. Mitchell said during an interview before returning to The Bahamas.
“It was a very well-organised programme. The Government here was receptive from the highest levels at the concerns we raised about fishing.” Minister Mitchell added.
“We have to now move on with our discussions, which ended with meetings with the country’s president, onto the more operation side of our discussions, which is that the military forces in both countries – which are responsible for policing the seas – have to get to know each other and their experiences.”
The Bilateral Talks ended officially with meetings with El Presidente Danilo Medina at the Presidential Palace, on October 31, 2012., Minister Mitchell, Minister of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Local Government the Hon. V. Alfred Gray and Minister of National Security Dr. the Hon. Bernard J. Nottage met with the President and discussed issues such as mutual friendship in the fight against drug smuggling and poaching and continued diplomatic friendship between the two nations.
That meeting resulted in a immediate press conference were Minister Mitchell addressed the local and regional media and later appeared on television news, marking the first time Bahamian officials have had a press conference there.
The meeting also resulted in private talks with Dominican Republic Minister of the Armed Forces His Excellency Admiral Sigfrido A. Pared Perez and the nation’s “Drug Czar” Dr. Marino Vinicio Catillo R. There they discussed the possible linkage between fish poaching and drug dealing and high-level strategies to combat both issues.
“We can expect greater enforcement over the next few weeks,” Minister Mitchell said. “There will be a follow-up visit within the next 14 days by the Dominican Navy to the Bahamas.”
“I think that we should expect to see results and we will keep following the matters from the Foreign Affairs side,” Minister Mitchell said.
“We are cautiously-optimistic that there will be some change on the high seas with regards to this poaching issue,” Minister Mitchell said.
“This is the first time that there has been a high-level Ministerial delegation to the Dominican Republic to represent the interest of Bahamian fishermen here in the Dominican Republic,” Minister Mitchell pointed out.
On October 30, 2012, the first day of the official talks, Minister of Financial Services the Hon. Ryan Pinder and Bahamian private sector stakeholders met with Secretary of State Executive Director in the Export and Investment Center of the Dominican Republic Mr. Jean Alain Rodriguez, at the Investment and Trade Council.
Once there, they discussed such areas as trade encouragement, future talks and the strengthening of ties in business and diplomacy.
After that meeting, Ministers Mitchell and Pinder joined Minister Gray and Minister Nottage at a meeting with a representative of the Minister of Agriculture. There they discussed such issues as trade in produce, fishery problems and ways to address them in the near future.
Minister Mitchell’s counterpart His Excellency Carlos Morales Troncosco officially welcomed the delegation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and spoke fondly of his visits to The Bahamas and his positive interactions with Minister Mitchell.
Minister Pinder met with Dominican Republic Industry and Commerce Minister His Excellency Jose del Castillo, later that afternoon, as Bahamian Cabinet Ministers, Government technical officers and private sector stakeholders continued their Bilateral Talks on various issues.
The two Ministers agreed to strengthen ties through trade and industry and spoke of representatives from Dominican Republic coming to The Bahamas for regional meetings in the next few weeks.
Bahamian Delegation Leader and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration the Hon. Frederick A. Mitchell, Minister of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Local Government the Hon. V. Alfred Gray and Minister of National Security Dr. the Hon. Bernard J. Nottage also offered their input in the meeting with the Commerce Minister.
During that meeting, the three Ministers and Royal Bahamas Defence Force Commander Nedley Martinborough left Ministers Pinder and Castillo, and a number of Bahamian private-sector stakeholders, to attend a meeting with the Heads of the Naval Forces in the Dominican Republic.
Jefe de Estado Mayor (Chief Head of State) for the Naval Forces CN. (Ship Captain) Edwin Dominici Rosario greeted the Bahamian officials and led them into the base for the first high-level talks ever held at a diplomatic level between the country’s navy and The Bahamas.
Minister Nottage led the meeting for The Bahamas, which resulted in preliminary agreements on information-sharing, the plans for special tracking methods of Dominican Republic boats that may be illegally poaching in Bahamian waters, proposed stiffer penalties for those captured poaching and further partnerships between the two nations in fighting drug smuggling on the open waters.
“There has been a lot of carping and complaining about it; but a mission has never been held,” Minister Mitchell said. “That caused the antennae of the people of the Dominican Republic and its Government to be raised and they were welcoming, thought it was long overdue and agreed that we ought to agreed upon a raft of issues, not only to deal with illegal, unreported, unregulated fishing, but also in the wider area of trade and commerce.”
By Eric Rose
Bahamas Information Services
