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Remarks by CARICOM Secretary-General Dr Carla Barnett on the occasion of the presentation of Credentials by H.E. Leslia Miller-Brice as Ambassador of The Bahamas to the Caribbean Community, 16 May 2022

  • Your Excellency Leslia Miller-Brice, Ambassador of  The Bahamas to the Caribbean Community;
  • Ambassador Donna Forde, Assistant Secretary-General for Foreign and Community Relations, and other Staff of the CARICOM Secretariat.

It is with great pleasure that I accept your Letter of Credence as the Ambassador of The Bahamas to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

Ambassador, I am always grateful for an opportunity to welcome a new Ambassador to the CARICOM family and to welcome fresh perspectives on the various issues confronting the Community.  Since the announcement of your appointment, I have had the pleasure of meeting you at CARICOM and CARICOM-related Meetings, and it has always been my distinct pleasure to do so.

The Bahamas’ portfolio within the CARICOM Quasi-Cabinet as the Member State with lead responsibility for Tourism, the Region’s single greatest revenue earner, is particularly important at this time.  Given the challenges presented by the protracted COVID-19 pandemic and the severe impact on tourism, leadership of The Bahamas on issues affecting the sector is a critical element as the Community seeks to boost economic recovery.

Further, The Bahamas will assume the Chair of the Conference of Heads of Government from January 2023, presenting an opportunity to be at the forefront of the Community’s drive to social and economic recovery.

Excellency, today you become a Member of the CARICOM Committee of Ambassadors. This Committee has as its principal focus, the advancement of the integration process, and it provides strategic advice and recommendations to the Community Council towards achieving that goal.

As a Member of the Committee, you will be expected to assist in advancing implementation at the national level of the relevant decisions of the Organs of the Community. You and your colleagues have a key role in providing the necessary link between the regional and the national.

A significant part of your mandate is to engage and interact with your citizens to highlight and promote the objectives, work and benefits of the Community. This would help to strengthen the CARICOM identity and spirit of Community.

Excellency, I congratulate you on your accreditation as Ambassador of The Bahamas to the Caribbean Community. I wish you every success, and I assure you of the full commitment of the Secretariat and of myself to assist you in the execution of your new duties to your country and to the Caribbean Community.

Thank you.

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