FOREIGN
RELATIONS
The Bahamas
has strong bilateral relationships with the United States and
the United Kingdom, represented by an ambassador in Washington
and High Commissioner in London. The Bahamas also associates closely
with other nations of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). The Bahamas
has an ambassador in Haiti and works closely with the United States
and CARICOM on political and migration issues related to Haiti.
The Bahamas has diplomatic relations with Cuba, although not with
resident ambassadors. A repatriation agreement was signed with
Cuba in 1996, and there are commercial and cultural contacts between
the two countries. The Commonwealth of The Bahamas became a member
of the United Nations in 1973 and the Organization of American
States in 1982.
The Bahamas
holds membership in a number of international organizations: the
UN and some specialized and related agencies, including Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Civil Aviation Organization
(ICAO), and the International Labor Organization (ILO); International
Monetary Fund (IMF); International Telecommunication Union (ITU);
World Bank; World Meteorological Organization (WMO); World Health
Organization (WHO); OAS and related agencies, including Inter-American
Development Bank (IDB), Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), and
Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO); the Caribbean Community
(CARICOM), excluding its Common Market; the International Criminal
Police Organization (INTERPOL); Universal Postal Union (UPU);
International Maritime Organization (IMO); World Intellectual
Property Organization (WIPO); and obtained observer status in
the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001.
U.S.-BAHAMIAN
RELATIONS
The United States historically has had close economic and commercial relations with The Bahamas. The countries share ethnic and cultural ties, especially in education, and The Bahamas is home to approximately 30,000 American residents. In addition, there are about 110 U.S.-related businesses in The Bahamas and, in 2005, 87% of the 5 million tourists visiting the country were American.
As a neighbor,
The Bahamas and its political stability are especially important
to the United States. The U.S. and the Bahamian Government have
worked together on reducing crime and reforming the judiciary.
With the closest island only 45 miles from the coast of Florida,
The Bahamas often is used as a gateway for drugs and illegal aliens
bound for the United States. The United States and The Bahamas
cooperate closely to handle these threats. U.S. assistance and
resources have been essential to Bahamian efforts to mitigate
the persistent flow of illegal narcotics and migrants through
the archipelago. The United States and The Bahamas also actively
cooperate on law enforcement, civil aviation, marine research,
meteorology, and agricultural issues. The U.S. Navy operates an
underwater research facility on Andros Island.
The Department of Homeland Security’s Bureau of Customs and Border Protection maintains “preclearance” facilities at the airports in Nassau and Freeport. Travelers to the U.S. are interviewed and inspected before departure, allowing faster connection times in the U.S.
Principal U.S. Officials
Ambassador--Ned S. Siegel
Charge d'Affaires--Brent Hardt
Management Officer--David Elmo
Consul--Virginia Ramadan
Political-Economic Section Chief--Daniel O'Connor
Public Affairs Officer--Daniel O'Connor
The U.S. Embassy is located at 42 Queen Street, Nassau (tel. 242-322-1181; telex 20-138); the local postal address is P.O. Box N-8197, Nassau, The Bahamas.
