2009 Speeches
Remarks by Acting Deputy Chief of Mission, David Elmo
Toastmasters Bahamas
March 18, 2009
President Jevon McIntosh, Toastmasters, Ladies and gentlemen,
Good afternoon and thank you for inviting me here today. It is truly a pleasure to be here with the Toastmasters Club 7108.
I applaud all that the Toastmasters around the world do to provide positive learning environments and encourage leadership skills among your members. You should be proud of your institution’s contributions to the future of your country.
I am pleased to discuss the relationship of the U.S. and the Bahamas and the economy today. You will not be surprised when I say that the United States firmly believes that private enterprise, free trade and commerce are fundamental elements that lay at the heart of all strong and prosperous nations.
We are in a time of economic uncertainty and change. Each day, we read about the common challenges that the United States and The Bahamas, and in fact, the world, face together. The world is facing enormous difficulties and governments around the world are acting with force and urgency to address these concerns.
The economies of the United States and The Bahamas are uniquely inter-connected, and what benefits one benefits the other. This time of economic flux undoubtedly requires leadership, and this is a time that requires leaders with vision. With that in mind, I turn to President Obama, who recently said:
“To respond to an economic crisis that is global in scope, we are working with the nations of the G-20 to restore confidence in our financial system, avoid the possibility of escalating protectionism, and spur demand for American goods in markets across the globe. For the world depends on us to have a strong economy, just as our economy depends on the strength of the world’s.”
As a three-year veteran of your beautiful islands, it is a pleasure for me to reiterate what all of you already know: Our two countries have long been united by geographic proximity and the richness of a common history. But, more importantly, our two peoples are united by our shared and strongly held beliefs, common values and aspirations; by the pleasures of old friendships, and the firm bonds of family.
Our partnership is great. Over the years we have consistently worked together to implement positive programs and initiatives, ranging from border security to education and breast cancer awareness. It is the closeness of our ties that have enabled us to successfully achieve our mutual goals, the reward of which is a better world for our children and grandchildren. So let’s talk about our shared commonalities.
President Obama and Prime Minister Ingraham both recently announced economic plans for our two countries that hold many similarities. The President’s plans will jump-start our economy, especially in critical areas such as alternative energy and education. I am not among the pessimists who dwell on a bleak specter of a bottomless downward spiral. Both our leaders are clear eyed in assessing the pressing problems we face. But they are both at heart believers in our future. I think President Obama said it best in a recent speech:
“…the very fact that this crisis is of our own making means that it is not beyond our ability to solve. Our problems are rooted in past mistakes, not our capacity for future greatness. It will take time, perhaps many years, but we can rebuild that lost trust and confidence. We can restore opportunity and prosperity. It is time to trade old habits for a new spirit of responsibility.”
In addition, both of our countries will participate in the Fifth Summit of the Americas in Trinidad next month, promoting a theme that I find very fitting: “Securing Our Citizens’ Future by Promoting Human Prosperity, Energy Security and Environmental Sustainability.” I have no doubt that we will see tangible outcomes from our leaders as a result of the summit.
Fundamentally, our two nations share very similar agendas, and I think they set the stage for the United States and The Bahamas to continue working together to accomplish mutual goals and create economic opportunities. We have done much together in the past to foster economic growth and keep our countries prosperous and secure.
I know that we will make even greater strides in the future. The U.S. Embassy is actively working to encourage new trade and investment. For example, last year, the Embassy hosted hundreds of U.S. businesses and government representatives from the state of Florida and beyond to visit The Bahamas and meet with local counterparts. Together with Bahamian stakeholders we brought experts from Florida and from the University of Pennsylvania School of Design to tour Nassau and provide suggestions on urban redevelopment and historic conservation.
In July, the Embassy, partnering with the Organization of American States and the Bahamian government, sponsored a regional alternative energy conference that brought together hundreds of business people and government officials from throughout the region and the world.
The recent drop in oil prices may have allowed the need to address energy security to recede in the minds of some. But President Obama has outlined his plans to double the production of alternative energy in the next three years - - and we hope to see something similar in The Bahamas. Whenever you save energy, you not only save money, you also reduce the demand for fossil fuels. This country is blessed with natural resources such as sun and wind. The Bahamas has the potential to be a leader in the alternative energy industry.
The Embassy stands ready to assist in the development of the Bahamian economy. We are committed to helping to promote U.S. goods and services to The Bahamas. But in order to foster trade and economic development, we must continue to keep our nations safe. Security is a predicate to the conduct of business. I am again pleased to note that we have already made great strides in this regard. Let me cite five important examples.
First, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection pre-clearance facilities in Nassau and Freeport have been very successful over the years in safeguarding air travel for millions of visitors. I know you will agree that CBPs presence in The Bahamas is certainly a benefit for those conducting business here, and the Embassy continues to work with the Bahamian government to keep the pre-clearance facilities open airport. We are currently working with The Bahamas on a general aviation agreement that will make this an even more attractive location for investment.
Second, Freeport is home to one of the largest ports in the region and we have worked closely with The Bahamas to maintain the security and integrity of your port. Once again it stands to reason that the safer the port facility, the better the benefits for trade and investment. Our security is further strengthened by the Container Security Initiative, which ensures all high –risk containers at the Container Port are screened for illicit goods. We remain committed to keeping both air and shipping facilities safe.
Third, last year The Bahamas signed an important Proliferation Security Agreement, which allows authorities to search ships operating under our national flags in international waters. This has increased the capability of both nations to intercept and stop thugs, drugs, and weapons of mass destruction prior to them ever rereaching our shores.
Fourth, working closely with the Ministry of National Security, we have improved our operational capacity to counter illicit smuggling threats through Operation Bahamas Turks and Caicos (OPBAT). To that end, Embassy Nassau presented four patrol boats valued at over 3.3 million dollars to the Royal Bahamas Defense Force last year to assist in our mutual goal of keeping our maritime borders safe.
In 2008 OPBAT and the Royal Bahamas Defense Force prevented some 3000 illegal migrants from reaching our shores. We are working to support efforts to improve the infrastructure at Great Inagua to better address drugs and illegal migration.
Fifth, and right now, The Bahamas is hosting the Tradewinds 2009 Exercise, an event sponsored by the U.S. Southern Command that has brought more than 500 U.S. service members, Caribbean nation security forces personnel, and British Royal Marines to The Bahamas. Our partnership with The Bahamas and the rest of the Caribbean in this initiative is yet another example of our goal of increasing maritime awareness and stopping the traffic of illicit goods through our waters.
All of the five projects I just mentioned are proof that our excellent bilateral relationship remains critical to both of us. The U.S.-Bahamas relationship spans many years and will remain very much interconnected.
Beyond the official relationship, the relations between our peoples are equally excellent. Four million Americans visit your beautiful country each year. Travel of Bahamians to the U.S. is extensive. We are most honored that hundreds of Bahamians choose to attend U.S. colleges and universities, finding a home-away-from-home on our campuses. We will continue to make the timely processing of the requisite visas a priority at the Embassy.
If our personal exchanges have been the bedrock of our partnership over the years, then our economic relations represent its heart and soul. We know that our economies are intertwined and what happens in the States directly affects you. As community leaders, some of you have the ability to create opportunities for economic growth.
President Obama has said that his administration is committed to making sure that even as steps are taken to strengthen the U.S. economy, we do so in a way that over time will also enhance the ability of our trading partners to work within our boundaries. It is through vision like this that the United States and The Bahamas will continue to foster the kind of international partnership that will help us achieve our goals of peace and stability, sustainable economic development, and a clean and healthy environment.
I have no doubt that the U.S. and The Bahamas will continue to act together and advance together as partners. I look forward to personally seeing the rewards of our joint vision and its implementation in the future.
My thanks again to the Toastmasters Club 7108 for hosting me today. It has been a privilege to speak with you.