Pool Reports by Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald
| Sent: | Reports: |
| June 8, 2023 12:41 |
VP Harris Bahamas arrival Pool Report 1 The first aircraft, the support plane, arrived at 12:09 pm and finally stopped taxing at 12:11 pm after passengers long upon front of a hangar at Odyssey Aviation in Nassau. AF2 arrived at 12:18 pm and pulled up at 12:20 The Royal Bahamas Police Force band dressed in black, red and white uniform came onto tarmac and began playing , welcoming the VP to the Bahamas. Waiting are dozens of greeters including school children and members of her sorority, AKA. The VP stepped off AF2 at 12:33 pm. She's wearing lilac colored pants suits and is greeted by Bahamas Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell. Band played "One God, One people, One Bahamas," after the national anthems of both countries and as VP inspected the police band. |
| June 8, 2023 13:11 |
VP Bahamas Pool report 2 I want to add the temperature here is a sunny 84 degrees but with the humidity it's scorching hot. The VP, prior to leaving, was greeted by a cheering crowd and chatted with them. Smiling, she was pleased with the greeting and walked the line chatting with some members. Adding this supplement to the report: On Background from a White House Official: Upon landing at Lynden Pindling International in Nassau, The Bahamas, the Vice President was greeted by the following:
Also present were ~120 members of The Royal Bahamas Defence Force, as well as 80 members of Royal Bahamas Police Force Band, who performed both countries' national anthems. Civil society groups and students then welcomed the Vice President. The U.S. Government has worked with the organizations on the following on efforts to protect human rights and marginalized people:
The groups assembled also include organizations working to build climate resilience by planting mangroves, providing marine science education, and protecting this country's wealth of natural resources, including some of the world's largest coral reefs. For example, The Bahamas National Trust, which manages 32 national parks across the 700 islands of The Bahamas. |
| June 8, 2023 15:57 |
VP Bahamas pool press report #3 Bahamas Prime Minister Philip Davis walked into a large conference room at Atlantis on Paradise Islands in The Bahamas shortly at 2:13 p.m. and stood in front of the U.S. flag. Less than a minute later, he was joined by Vice President Harris, who stood in front of the Bahamian flag, both at the back of the room, and shook his hand. The VP thanked Davis for inviting her and said since had invited her she "decided it was time I come and visit with you on your home territory." A conference table was in front with place markings for those who would be joining both leaders in their bilateral. BILATERAL MEETING Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper, The Bahamas
The Vice President was joined by the following United States Delegation:
She later joined members of the 15-member Caribbean Community regional bloc known as CARICOM, along with the president of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader, for a family photo. The Dominican Republic is not a member of CARICOM, which consists of mostly English-speaking former British colonies along with French and Creole speaking Haiti and Dutch-speaking Suriname. On background from a White House official: The Vice President participated in a family photo with leaders attending the U.S.-Caribbean Leaders Meeting at the Atlantis Conference Center. The following leaders were in the photo:
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| June 8, 2023 16:50 |
VP Harris pool report #4 Bahamas Prime Minister Philip Davis opened a bilateral meeting in Nassau, Bahamas with Vice President Kamala Harris and leaders from the 15-member Caribbean Community known as CARICOM, the bloc's Secretary General Carala Barnett and Dominican President Luis Abinader. Davis remarked that the last time leaders met was in February during the region's meeting. Davis is currently the chairman of CARICOM. He said he was "pleased to welcome Vice President Harris to join our Caribbean nations." He said he believes that they all "feel the depths and sincerity of your commitment to the region and to our people." The discussions he said would cover a broad range of issues including energy and food security, climate resilience, development financing and economic opportunity. (Full transcript will be provided later). Vice President Harris spoke after Davis, saying it is truly her honor to be in The Bahamas. She congratulated them on their upcoming 50th anniversary of independence. "It is truly my honor to be here and co-host this event with you." She thanked all of the CARICOM and Caribbean leaders present for the work they have done in the last couple of years and congratulated them on the 50th anniversary of CARICOM (which will be celebrated next month in Trinidad and Tobago). "As neighbors, the United States shares common bonds and interests with the Caribbean nations," the VP said. "Our partnership we strongly believe is essential to our mutual security and prosperity. Our nations have extensive people to people ties." She noted that this is Caribbean American Heritage Month in the U.S. this month. "Strengthening the U.S. Caribbean relationship is a priority for me, as it is for President Joe Biden and these meetings..have proven to be very important and essential to the strength of these relationships," she said. She noted that this is the fourth multilateral meeting. (See fact sheets on previous meetings). "Throughout all of these engagements, we have discussed the priorities of all of the leaders at this table and identified specific areas of collaboration," Harris said. "Since we last met, I do believe we have made significant progress," she said. Regarding the extenstional threat of the climate crisis, the VP said, "Caribbean nations are on the front lines." They have discussed powerful storms that could affect economic progress, low-lying islands that face erosion, flooding and storm surge from rising seas. "These discussions resulted in the launch of our U.S. Caribbean Partnership to Address the Climate Crisis or as we call it PACC 2030 last year at the Summit of the Americas. "PAC 2030 is designed to help accelerate the Caribbean's transition to clean energy and to promote energy security and climate resilience," she said. Harris then went into examples in St. Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica and St. Kitts and Nevis -- all island nations in the Eastern Caribbean -- that the U.S. has pursued in the area of solar micro grids, clean energy. "Our work together has also helped build capacity for disaster preparedness," she said. "Since we last met, we have also worked to bring investors to the Caribbean to identify new opportunities for clean energy infrastructure, including through trade missions, we have provided $28 million in food security assistance," she said. Shen then announced new investments as outlined in the fact sheet including initiatives to address gun trafficking in the region and specifically in Haiti to help the national police investigate trafficking. "The international community must continue to support the Haitian people. In light of the devastating humanitarian and security crisis in that country, the United States supports the development of a multinational force to Haiti and today I am pleased to announce $53.7 million in new humanitarian aid for Haiti," she said. "In addition, our administration will support the extension of HOPE HELP trade preferences for Haiti, which are up for renewal in 2025." Haiti this week was hit by devastating floods that left at least 51 dead throughout the country, according to authorities, and an earthquake in its southwest. At least four deaths were confirmed. The moderate quake was a magnitude 5.5 according to Haiti's chief seismologist. After the VP spoke, Carla Barnett, the Secretary General of CARICOM also spoke noting that the issues being raised in the meetings are of importance to Caribbean leaders. She said that the relationship with the U.S. is "characterized by collaboration on many issues of mutual importance, including trade and investment security, energy disaster management and climate change." On Background from a White House Official The Vice President convened the U.S.-Caribbean Leaders, with 15 leaders from the Caribbean, alongside Prime Minister Davis of The Bahamas, current chair of the Caribbean Community. This was the Vice President's fourth multilateral meeting with Caribbean leaders. She discussed and announced new initiatives on: countering firearms trafficking; expanding our diplomatic presence in the eastern Caribbean, and supporting the people of Haiti. The following Caribbean Leaders participated in the multilateral meeting:
The Vice President was joined by the following United States Delegation:
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| June 8, 2023 19:55 |
VP Harris Bahamas visit pool report 5 Vice President Harris' bilateral with Caribbean leaders has ended and as we prepare to head to the airport at 6:57 pm, she's wrapping up her visit. On background from White House Official: The Vice President met with U.S. Embassy Nassau staff and their families. She was joined by Usha Pitts, Chargé d'Affaires, U.S. Embassy Nassau. |
| June 8, 2023 20:26 |
VP Harris Bahamas visit pool report 6 VP Kamala Harris ended her visit to the Bahamas Thursday. After arriving at Odyssey Aviation, she stepped out of a black SUV at 7:32 pm, walked under the wing to take a quick photo with staff and then wakes up the stairs. She stopped at the top, waved and step into the aircraft. |
Kamala Harris, Vice Presidential Pool Reports of June 8, 2023 Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/363191