BAHAMAS PARTICIPATES IN SECOND WESTERN HEMISPHERE COUNTERTERRORISM MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE IN ARGENTINA

The Hon. Darren A. Henfield,  Minister of Foreign Affairs, is pictured with the Hon. Michael R. Pompeo, US Secretary of State.

NASSAU, Bahamas, July 18, 2019 – The Hon. Darren A. Henfield, Minister of Foreign Affairs, headed The Bahamas’ delegation that participated in the Second Western Hemisphere Counterterrorism Ministerial Conference held July 18-19, 2019 in Buenos Aries, Argentina.

In announcing this in a release on its Facebook page, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that in addition to the Minister, the delegation included ASP Harris Cash, Ministry of National Security and Foreign Service Officer, and  Mrs. Sherry Johnson-Deal.

Participants in the Conference included Ministers of Foreign Affairs and competent national authorities in the field of counterterrorism, the Foreign Affairs released stated.

“Heads of delegations and experts discussed the regional scenario: terrorist threats in the Americas, western hemisphere cooperation against terrorist financing, regional security and law and criminal law approaches to terrorism and terrorist financing,” the release said. “The Hon. Minister delivered a statement during the general debate segment of the Conference, which focused, inter-alia on: The Bahamas’ commitment to safety and security, domestic legislation regarding counterterrorism, and the importance of multilateral partnerships in the fight against counterterrorism.”

The Conference concluded with the adoption of the Buenos Aires Declaration Against Terrorism, followed by a press conference.

“In the margins of the Conference, delegations attended a memorial service in honour of victims of the attack on the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association (AMIA), which took place on 18th July, 1994 at its Headquarters,” the release said.

It added: “While in Buenos Aries, the Hon. Darren A. Henfield also engaged in bilateral talks with the Hon. Michael R. Pompeo, US Secretary of State. Topics of interest discussed, inter-alia, included the situation in Venezuela, China’s engagement in the Region and U.S.-Caribbean economic and security cooperation in the context of the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI).”