NASSAU, BAHAMAS — As the United States officially requested The Bahamas to join its allies in issuing sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell said while The Bahamas has not made a formal decision, its position will be driven by practicalities such as its relationship with the US and the European Union, and its financial services sector.
He told the media that while The Bahamas was awaiting the position of CARICOM
“Those await formal decisions,” Mitchell told reporters at Baha Mar.
“That’s beyond my remit at the moment, except to say it is an evolving story and obviously we are concerned that we line up because this is what is really happening now is people have to line up on whose side, you’re on. Are you on, there’s a good guys, bad guys side our allies are the United States in the west, and so that’s where we are lining up and we have to do, in my view, things which are consonant with those facts.
“But until there is some formal decision made I can say it is an evolving story.”
Yesterday, US Embassy Public Affairs Officer Daniel Durazo said the embassy officially asked the Bahamian government to “join our allies and partners around the world in imposing severe consequences on Russia to hold the Russian government accountable”.
He said: “It is up to the people and government of The Bahamas to decide how to best impose consequences on Vladimir Putin for his unjustified invasion of Ukraine, and we commend The Bahamas for their statements condemning the invasion thus far.”
He added that The Bahamas and US must work together to prevent Russia from “circumventing our collective efforts to impose economic consequences on the Russian government” for invading a sovereign and independent country.
Russian Ambassador to Cuba Andrey Guskov told The Nassau Guardian this week that Russia “is ready for active cooperation with The Bahamas” in various fields, including political, trade and investment, humanitarian and education, among others.
Yesterday, Mitchell also pointed out that The Bahamas was awaiting the position of CARICOM.
He said the matter was an “evolving story”, which should have more definites in the days to come.
The minister was expected to brief the parliamentary caucus yesterday evening and Cabinet this morning on the matter.
“The issue of what to do is probably going to be driven by the practicalities of this: one is the relationship with the United States and the European Union and then secondly our financial services sector,” he continued.
“From what I have seen there is a circular in my briefing from the… Attorney General’s Office is that many of the banks and trust companies here are already dealing with individuals who have been sanctioned and institutions that have been sanctioned as if sanctions had been imposed by The Bahamas government.
“And that is because in their home countries they may run afoul of the law if they do not apply that sanctions that had been applied in their home countries. So, that may already be happening in The Bahamas and it’s a question of catching up so to speak.”
The Bahamas has strongly condemned Russian’s invasion of Ukraine, joining 140 other United Nations members in demanding that Russia withdraw it military forces from the country.
Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a “special military operation” on February 24 with a goal of demilitarization and “denazification of Ukraine, alleging that the Ukraine’s elected government were responsible for years of genocide.
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