Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to Nassau, June 8, to meet with Caribbean leaders and advance efforts to combat climate change. She and Prime Minister Philip Davis, current chair of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), will co-host the U.S.-Caribbean Leaders Meeting.
This meeting builds on the Vice President’s previous meetings with Caribbean leaders in April 2022, at the June 2022 Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles, and in September 2022.
The Vice President’s trip delivers on the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to advance cooperation with the Caribbean, pursue shared prosperity and security, and celebrate the common bonds between our nations. The Vice President is traveling to The Bahamas during Caribbean-American Heritage Month and will celebrate the longstanding people-to-people ties between the Caribbean and the United States.
The U.S.-Caribbean Leaders Meeting will address a range of regional issues, including security and economic prosperity. In particular, the Vice President and Caribbean leaders will continue discussions on shared efforts to address the climate crisis, by promoting climate resilience and adopting renewable energy.
This meeting builds on the U.S.-Caribbean Partnership to Address the Climate Crisis 2030 (PAC 2030), launched by the Vice President and Caribbean leaders in Los Angeles at the Summit of the Americas.
US Embassy Nassau’s Chargé d’Affaires, Usha Pitts praised the timing of the visit.
“Vice President Harris will be the highest-ranking U.S. government official to visit The Bahamas since Independence in 1973. Her visit commemorates not just 50 years of Bahamian Independence, but also and 50 years of enduring partnership between our two nations,” said Chargé Pitts.
Over the past five decades The Bahamas and the United States have forged commercial and trade ties, cooperated on security and law enforcement, and shared cultural and educational exchanges.
The Chargé noted both countries’ alignment across many foreign policy positions. For example, The Bahamas quickly joined the United States in sanctioning 121 Russian individuals and entities following the invasion of Ukraine.
The Bahamas also participates energetically in discussions at the United Nations, the COP 27 Climate Change Conference, and the Summit of the Americas.
“Next year, the Embassy team will move into our new $310 million-dollar complex in downtown Nassau. From this base of operations, we look forward to strengthening our bilateral ties for the next 50 years and beyond,” she said.
“Vice President Harris’ visit demonstrates the value of our friendship and solidifies our commitment to address climate change and advance our shared democratic principles.”
Source: Embassy of The United States Public Affairs Section
